Shattered former world No.1 Justine Henin-Hardenne has rekindled calls for a shorter tennis season after a broken knee bone forced her to abandon her Australian Open defence before it even began.

Henin-Hardenne will fly home to Belgium on Sunday for desperately-needed rest after an MRI scan revealed a micro fracture of the right femural condyle bone.

The triple grand slam champion doesn't require surgery but doctors have told her to sit tight for another four to six weeks, ruling her out of the first grand slam of the year starting at Melbourne Park on January 17.

Henin-Hardenne said although she sustained the injury while practising in Florida at Christmas she pressed ahead with her plans to warm up for the Open at the Medibank International in Sydney next week.

"I took rest, I did everything I could. I came here. I was confident but then the rest didn't help and my pain is getting worse and worse," she said.

"To keep playing is not going to help me, so I have to take rest because it's a serious injury but it could me more serious if I keep playing.

"I don't want to stay out of the circuit for another six months so I have to be careful right now.

"I'll have to be smart. Making this decision is very hard to accept but I have to take it and I'm sure it's the good one."

Henin-Hardenne's late scratching has stunned Australian Open director Paul McNamee and left the tournament void of both last year's women's finalists.

Fellow Belgian Kim Clijsters on Friday officially declared herself a no show because of an ongoing wrist injury.

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