Belgian Justine Henin Monday was given a wild card to January's Australian Open.

Henin, 27, said she would return to competitive tennis after more than a year in retirement.

She was obviously encouraged by her compatriot Kim Clijsters' successful return in which Clijsters clinched this year's US Open.

Henin won the Australian Open in 2004 and played the 2006 final. The last appearance there for the winner of 41 career titles was a 2008 quarter-final before she retired in May that same year.