Belgium tennis player Justine Henin is retiring from the game today to have more time to travel and work on her education. She is just 26 and is currently the #1 ranked women’s tennis player in the world. She has been on top of the rankings for 61 straight weeks.

Henin, who is 26 next month, won no new fewer than 10 titles in 2007, and has already won two this season, but she has in the past mentioned her wish to return to studying.

She said: “I also want to travel, to get away from the pressure, and to do many things I can never do.”

The Belgian has won 41 career titles, including seven Grand Slams and an Olympic Gold medal in Athens, with the grass court title at Wimbledon the only major prize to elude her.

Her retirement could be temporary as she is likely burnt out of her days and nights being consumed by tennis since she was a little girl.