The winner of 41 WTA titles and a former world no. 1 Kim Clijsters will make a return to the WTA Tour next season at the age of 36!
The four-time Major champion has not played since the US Open 2012, having three kids (born in 2008, 2013 and 2016) with a former Villanova basketball player Bryan Lynch and working at her Academy, as a commentator and also with compatriots Elise Mertens and Yanina Wickmayer.
Now, the Belgian is ready to make the second comeback, retiring for the first time at the age of 23 in 2007 after the event in Warsaw when she was ranked 4th, struggling with a hip injury that prevented her from playing at her best.
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Two years later, Kim made the best possible return in the summer of 2009, conquering the US Open after thrilling wins over Venus Williams, Na Li, Serena Williams and Caroline Wozniacki to write history, becoming the first unseeded champion and the first mom with a Major crown since 1980!
Embracing reduced schedule in 2010, Clijsters conquered Brisbane, Miami, Cincinnati, the US Open and the WTA Championships, proving her class again and adding the fourth Major crown to her tally next January in Melbourne, becoming world no.
“I don’t really feel like I want to prove something,” Clijsters said. “I think for me it’s the challenge. I still love to play tennis, whenever I’m at a Grand Slam playing the Legends, if somebody asked me hey, do you want to hit some balls, I’m the first one to be like I’ll hit,” she said.