Brussels, Belgium (My Sportsbook) - Former world No. 1 star Justine Henin announced her return to the WTA Tour on Tuesday.

"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 with her announcement today," said WTA Tour chairman and CEO Stacey Allaster. "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. Her career was marked by so many amazing moments, and a new chapter begins today."

In May of last year, the diminutive Belgian shocked the tennis world by announcing a decision to retire, as she became the first-ever reigning world No. 1 to do so.

The now-27-year-old Henin, best known for her beautiful one-handed backhand, tremendous athleticism and unrivalled work ethic, quit last year after experiencing a bevy of physical ailments in nine-plus years on the grueling circuit.

A four-time French Open champ, the 5-foot-5 Henin has captured seven Grand Slam titles among her 41 overall career titles and first rose to No. 1 in October of 2003. The Liege native has accumulated more than $19 million in prize money.

Henin, who serves as a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF, has captured every major tennis event, with the exception of Wimbledon. She even helped tiny Belgium win its first and only Fed Cup title back in 2001 and is a two-time winner of the prestigious year-end Tour Championships.

The 2004 Olympic gold medalist Henin has been plagued by a troubled personal life, as her mother died in 1995, she did not speak to her father for eight years at one point, and got divorced from her husband Pierre-Yves Hardenne in 2007.

Last month, Henin's long-time Belgian rival Kim Clijsters ended a two-plus- year retirement in order to return to the tour, and in only her third tournament back, the former top-ranked Clijsters captured the U.S. Open title two weeks ago.