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LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 19: Kim Clijsters of Belgium smiles during the mixed doubles match between John McEnroe of the United States and his partner Kim Clijsters of Belgium and Martina Navratilova of the United States and Jamie Murray of Great Britain during the Wimbledon No. 1 Court Celebration in support of the Wimbledon Foundation at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on May 19, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)
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LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 19: Kim Clijsters of Belgium smiles during the mixed doubles match between John McEnroe of the United States and his partner Kim Clijsters of Belgium and Martina Navratilova of the United States and Jamie Murray of Great Britain during the Wimbledon No. 1 Court Celebration in support of the Wimbledon Foundation at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on May 19, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)
Belgian tennis star Kim Clijsters has revealed a lost opportunity to partner seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams in doubles.
Speaking at a podcast, the four-time Grand Slam-winning Belgian said she had an opportunity to play doubles with Venus at the elite Indian Wells Masters but things didn’t work out, eventually.
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Kim Clijsters says she was really looking forward to playing doubles with Venus Williams
Ruing the missed opportunity, Clijsters said it was “exciting” and she was “really looking forward to that”.
Calling the 40-year-old Venus one of her “favorite players on Tour”, Clijsters said she enjoys seeing her go through the grind and “being out there”.
The American made it past the opening round of this year’s Australian Open, but bowed out in the second after losing in straight sets to Italian Sara Errani.
Make this happen for Miami please 🙏🏻 @Venuseswilliams @Clijsterskim pic.twitter.com/lCqXyMgbKl
— gabrielle | #BLM (@backhandology) March 8, 2021
Clijsters said when she wasn’t playing, she followed Venus’ on-court exploits with “big interest”.
“(To) have an opportunity to play doubles with her was really exciting,” the Belgian said, adding that she was “disappointed” when it was “canceled”.
Kim Clijsters was handed a wildcard entry to the Miami Open this year
The Belgian came out of her eight-year retirement to play the US Open last year. However, her campaign ended early as she lost in the opening round to Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova.
But she did show flashes of the old Clijsters by winning the opening set.
She has been handed a wildcard entry to the prestigious Miami Open, a calendar event that features both men’s and women’s draws.
Reuters
Tennis – Australian Open – Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia, February 10, 2021, Venus Williams of the U.S. in action during her second-round match against Italy’s Sara Errani REUTERS/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake
Clijsters has happy memories of the tournament as she won it twice in 2005 and 2010. Her last appearance at the event came in 2012.
Delighted at being given a wildcard, Clijsters said, “The Miami Open was always a favorite stop on Tour for me. I have great memories and also had great results there. I am excited to be coming back to Miami.”
While it’s sad the tennis world couldn’t see that two great stars hunt in pairs, it’s still not too late.
Read More: Venus Williams She Wasn’t Aware of Unique Record With Serena Williams Until 14th Grand Slam Final
With Clijsters playing again and Venus still going at 40, don’t be surprised if the two link up at the Indian Wells this year.
