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Justine Henin is seeking the elusive Wimbledon title in her return to the WTA Tour.

It’s the only Grand Slam the former top-ranked player hasn’t won – and it loomed large in her decision to end a one-year retirement from the sport.

“It is a dream of mine,” Henin said Tuesday. “I want to work to get it. I make it a priority.”

Barely a week after compatriot Kim Clijsters capped her comeback from retirement with a second U.S. Open title, Henin announced her return live on Belgian TV.

Henin was one game away from victory in the Wimbledon semifinals in 2007 before losing to Marion Bartoli. Henin’s coach Carlos Rodriguez, who also will make a comeback, believes she can take the grass-court title.

“I can see her winning it,” Rodriguez told RTL-TVI network. “This fourth title, it is one of the reasons for coming back.”

Henin’s announcement capped an about-face from her “definitive decision” to retire last year, followed in recent weeks by “no comment,” until a smiling admission Tuesday that she truly missed the game too much.

“A flame I thought was extinguished forever suddenly lit up again,” Henin said on TV.

Her plans include exhibition tournaments in Charleroi, Belgium, and Dubai, to hone her skills ahead of a competitive return at the Australian Open.

“Justine is one of the great champions in the history of women’s tennis, and we, along with millions of her fans around the globe, are thrilled,” WTA Tour chairman Stacey Allaster said in a statement. “Justine is that rare athlete who decided to step away from the game at the height of her powers, and no doubt she will be a force to be reckoned with from the get go.”

[Source: CBS Sports]

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