Justine Henin plans to launch her comeback to grand slam tennis in Australia in January, with both Melbourne and Sydney officials salivating at the prospect of the former world No.1's return.
The Belgian right-hander retired in May 2008 but 16 months later the 57kg pocket rocket says she's determined to add to her seven grand slam titles.
A four-time winner of the French Open, Henin has also claimed the US Open title twice and the Australian Open in 2004, but adding the elusive Wimbledon championship to complete her own personal grand slam is a key motivation.
After a couple of exhibition events in Belgium and Dubai, Sydney International officials hope to have Henin on their books for the tournament starting on January 11, a week before Melbourne's Australian Open.
Henin is a three-time winner of the Sydney event and the most recent of her 41 career titles came in Sydney in 2008.
"I was delighted to hear of Justine's plans to return to professional tennis," Sydney International tournament director Craig Watson said in a statement on Wednesday.
"She has always been a popular visitor ... and as a three-time champion of the event, we would love to have her back in 2010.
"I have already commenced discussions with her team about getting her here in January and I am hopeful she will be keen to begin her Australian Open campaign in Sydney."
Australian Open officials are also keen to cash in on the popular Belgian's re-emergence after a series of injuries threatened to prematurely end her career.
"Any time you can welcome a past champion on a comeback trail it's an opportunity you would never want to miss," Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley said.
"We would love Justine to be a part of the Australian Open again. It would be great to have her involved in tennis again."
Confirming her intention to return in January, Henin said: "The fire within burns again.
"I hope this is the beginning of a new adventure," said Henin, 27.
"Adrenaline is part of my life, my existence. It is in my character."
Henin, who famously fell out with Kim Clijsters in 2003 after the pair played an ill-tempered Acura Classic final in Carlsbad, California, admits she may have been inspired by her fellow Belgian.
"Subconsciously, it might have had an impact," Henin said.
"But it certainly was not the most important reason."
In that 2003 match, third-seeded Henin lost the first set to second-seeded Clijsters.
Henin then took a five-minute injury break to have a blister on her foot re-taped, before surging to win in three sets.
Clijsters implied that Henin had used the injury time-out as a cynical gamesmanship ploy, to regather her thoughts and energy.
"It's not the first time that it's happened," Clijsters said.
"She's probably done it in every match I've played against her.
Those are moments that you know she is not feeling at her best. She has to try to do different things.
The 167cm Henin, who has shown remarkable determination to keep pace with her taller and stronger opponents, will be trying her hardest to win gold at the 2012 Olympics as a 30-year-old.
"I want to keep going at least until then," the Athens 2004 gold medallist said of the London Games.
Troubled in 2004 by a mystery virus and three years later by her divorce from tennis coach Pierre-Yves Hardenne and a serious car accident involving her eldest brother, Henin has had a series of off-court hurdles.
Henin, who has dropped the hyphen following her divorce, has also suffered a strained relationship with her father and lost her mother to cancer when she was only 12.
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