By Pat Etcheberry

To become a top athlete in any sport you must know your strengths and weaknesses. You need to assess the obstacles to your success, set goals to overcome those obstacles and form a plan of action to reach your goals.

When Justine Henin-Hardenne and her coach Carlos Rodriguez first came to me, we discussed her existing training program and her short- and long-term goals. Then Henin-Hardenne went through an in-depth, tennis-specific evaluation to enable me to analyze every aspect of her game. The evaluation and discussions revealed several areas where Henin-Hardenne needed to focus her training:

• a bigger and more consistent serve
• improvement in her forehand
• more strength in her shoulders
• improvement in her endurance to enable her to play long matches such as the 2003 Australian Open match against Lindsay Davenport and the 2003 US Open match against Jennifer Capriati.

Her training program is designed to drastically increase the power in her legs, body core and shoulders. She needs to be able to take the balls higher due to her small physical stature. Henin-Hardenne’s conditioning program also incorporates various footwork drills to improve her movement and balance on the court. Her training is very tennis-specific and focused. She doesn’t spend hours in the gym each day. After all, she is training to impress on the tennis court not in the gym!

Henin-Hardenne’s training is planned months in advance based on her tournament schedule, type of surface on which she will be playing and scheduled time off. Flexibility also is factored in to address her recovery needs and her physical and mental status.

The key to Henin-Hardenne’s success has been her total commitment to hard work. She trains extremely hard when she is at Saddlebrook, and when she is on the road she carries the same admirable work ethic. Henin-Hardenne follows a detailed training program that is communicated and monitored on a weekly basis. Henin-Hardenne’s coach, Carlos Rodriguez, and I communicate each week to ensure that she follows the day-to-day workout designed specifically for her needs.

The pivotal elements of a successful conditioning program are well-defined goals, a good plan based on individual needs and a means of executing the plan to achieve those goals. Player, coach and fitness trainer must all be on the same page. The physical and technical must also work together.

The in-depth, tennis-specific evaluation that Henin-Hardenne underwent is available at the Etcheberry Sports Performance Division of Saddlebrook Resort in Florida. For more information call 813-907-4834.