The Return Of Kim Clijsters: 10 Facts To Know About The Belgian Star - UBITENNIS
FocusWTA

The Return Of Kim Clijsters: 10 Facts To Know About The Belgian Star

Ubitennis provides an overview of the former world No.1s career following her shock announcement on Thursday.

By Adam Addicott
4 Min Read

The world of tennis is known for its surprises, but few anticipated Kim Clijsters to unexpectedly announce her return to professional tennis at the age of 36.

Clijsters is aiming to return to action in 2020 after more than seven years away. Citing inspiration from other players playing longer into their careers, the Belgian will be one of the oldest to play on the tour. According to the WTA, only six players over the age of 36 have an official ranking. Including both of the Williams sisters.

To mark the upcoming return of the multiple grand slam champion, here are 10 things to know about Cjlisters’ record-breaking career.

    1. Clijsters has contested 60 finals on the WTA Tour, winning 41 titles. 31 of those victories took place on a hard court compared to five on carpet, three on the clay and two on the grass. In both 2003 and 2005 she won nine titles alone.
    2. She is the only player to have ever defeated both the Williams sisters at the same event twice. Doing so at the 2002 WTA Championships and the 2009 US Open. Both of those tournaments she ended up winning.
    3. On February 14th, 2011 Clijsters became the first and only player to reach world No.1 after becoming a mother. Although her time at the top only lasted for a week. Overall, she has been ranked world No.1 during four periods of her career that amounted to 20 weeks in total.

      Clijsters as No.1 :-
      -Aug 11, 2003-Oct 19, 2003 (10 weeks)
      -Oct 27, 2003-Nov 9, 2003 (2 weeks)
      -Jan 30, 2006-Mar 19, 2006 (7 weeks)
      -Feb 14, 2011-Feb 20, 2011 (1 week)

    4. It is her second comeback. The Belgian first retired from the sport in May 2007 before returning two years later. Clijsters would continue playing on the tour for another five years before calling it quits at the 2012 US Open following a lengthy battle with injuries.
    5. Her most successful grand slam is the US Open where she has won 86% of her matches (38/44). She won the title in 2006 before her first break from the sport before winning it back-to-back in 2010 and 2011. Clijsters’ only other Grand Slam title was at the 2011 Australian Open. Three out of her fourth majors were won after she became a mother.
    6. In 2001 she helped Belgium record their first and so far only Fed Cup title along with Justine Henin. Her win-loss record in the competition is 24-4. The only players to have defeated her in singles matches were Jelena Dokic (2000), Lindsay Davenport (2000) and Elena Dementieva (2006).
    7. She has also achieved success in the doubles. Clijsters is the only player from her country (man or woman) to ever reach world No.1 in the discipline back in 2003. Seven out of her 11 WTA trophies were won alongside Japan’s Ai Sugiyama.
    8. She was inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame in 2017 along with Andy Roddick. Some of her past tennis outfits are on display at the museum in Newport, America.
    9. Clijsters has three children all under the age of 11. They are Jada (born 2008), and twin sons, Jack and Blake (born 2013). She is married to former basketball player Brian Lynch.
    10. When she last played a match at the 2012 US Open, four out of the current top 10 players on the WTA Tour were yet to celebrate their 18th birthdays.

 

TAGGED:
Leave a comment