Furthermore, the Belgian world number one is determined to prove once again that being petite is no barrier to Grand Slam success.

"I have this image of being a girl not as tall as the others, not as strong as the others," said Henin who is aiming to become the first woman since Monica Seles (1990-92) to win the title three times in a row.

Victory on June 9 would also give her a fourth title in five years.

"But I have a great sensibility, which makes me perhaps a bit more fragile, but also much stronger that others on some occasions."

Henin says that she is finally over the emotional strain that accompanied the break up of her four-year marriage to Pierre-Yves Hardenne, a drama that caused her to miss the Australian Open.

"I'm a very happy person, I'm lucky, I'm in good health and that's important for me and I have a wonderful team around me," she said.

"My life has been a fight many times, but I have no bad feelings about it. I want to share with other people and I don't consider anything as a revenge against life."

Despite the turmoil of her private life, the Belgian has battled back as strong as ever, winning tournaments in Warsaw, Doha and Dubai and clamping a lock on the world No. 1 position ahead of Maria Sharapova.

Asked who she feared most in Paris, Henin cited the woman she defeated in last year's final, Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia, and the volatile Serb Jelena Jankovic.

The two east Europeans have been omnipresent on the WTA tour in recent weeks racking up vital hours of work on the clay and it has shown in their performances with Jankovic winning the Italian Open in Rome and Kuznetsova defeating Henin to reach the German Open final.

The same cannot be said though for the sport's glamour girl Sharapova who returned to action in Istanbul last week after taking two months out to recover from a shoulder injury.

Her comeback ended in a semifinal defeat to Frenchwoman Aravane Rezai.

That will hardly get her match fit for Paris and in any case she is far from happy on the slow clay here where she has failed to get past the quarterfinals.

The biggest question marks surround the two "veterans" Serena Williams of the United States and home heroine Amelie Mauresmo.

Serena has not played in Paris since 2004, two years after her first and only win in the year's second Grand Slam event.

But after injuries and lack of motivation last year saw her slump down the rankings, she has rebounded in typical swashbuckling style, winning the Australian Open in January and defeating all of her top rivals at one time or another.

In her last outing she lost in the quarterfinals of the Italian Open to Patty Schnyder of Switzerland, but insisted she was fully confident going into Roland Garros.

"I feel like I'll really enjoy myself, and obviously I have nothing to lose," she said.

"I'm going to do well, and I think once I start believing that, it will happen."

The problem for Mauresmo is twofold -- physical and psychological.

The Wimbledon champion spent two months out to recover from appendicitis.

And then there is her history of choking on the Philippe Chatrier centre-court where her long-suffering French fans are never sure what to expect from her.

Henin opens her campaign against Russian world number 67 Elena Vesnina and is seeded to meet Serena Williams in the quarterfinals.

Sharapova faces experienced Frenchwoman Emilie Loit in the first round with Mauresmo, a potential last eight opponent, taking on Laura Granville of the United States.

Third seed Kuznetsova faces Russian compatriot Ekaterina Bychkova in the first round with fellow Russian, and 2004 winner, Anastasia Myskina a possible second round opponent.

Serena starts against Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria with fourth seeded Jankovic facing French wildcard Stephanie Foretz.