Getty
DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – FEBRUARY 16: Kim Clijsters of Belgium speaks to media ahead of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis at Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium on February 16, 2020 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)
Getty
DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – FEBRUARY 16: Kim Clijsters of Belgium speaks to media ahead of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis at Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium on February 16, 2020 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)
Kim Clijsters is a former World No. 1, in both singles and doubles. She was the first Belgian player to attain the number 1 ranking and has 41 singles and 11 doubles titles to her name. The 38-year-old last appeared on the Tour in October 2021, at Indian Wells.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
Recently, however, she was spotted at the launch of the startup ‘Pablo’. The company has developed a new hardware and software system which is to be used at the Kim Clijsters Academy in Bree. The padel courts at the club will be fitted with a Pablo device, which will use face recognition to prevent the misuse of the padel courts. There, she also opened up about the timeline of her return to tournaments.
The ‘Kimback’ sequel is off for now for Kim Clijsters
Kim Clijsters retired from tennis in 2007, when she was just 23 years of age. 2 years later, she returned to win her second US Open title as an unranked player. In the following year, she won the US Open again, defending her title.
She then proceeded to win the 2011 Australian Open. This made the first mother to be ranked World No. 1 by the WTA. She retired after the 2012 US Open, but in early 2020, she announced her plans for the second comeback.
Getty
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 01: Kim Clijsters of Belgium serves during her Women’s Singles first round match against Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia on Day Two of the 2020 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 1, 2020 in the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Clijsters then returned to the Dubai Tennis Championships as a wildcard, but lost in the first round to Garbiñe Muguruza. She played the Monterrey Open next. In 2020 she played the US Open but lost there in the first round as well.
In 2021, she played at the Indian Wells Masters, but lost to Kateřina Siniaková in the first round in three sets. However, even though she has not announced her retirement yet, she said that she did not have any tournaments scheduled.
Clijsters' comeback is off for now… https://t.co/qct8DHianK
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) February 10, 2022
“It has become more complicated to combine everything with family life. No next scheduled tournament. We’ll see…” she said.
(Quotes have been translated using Google Translate)
Fans and supporters will surely want to see the former world number one back on tour as soon as possible.
WATCH THIS STORY: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams and Other Players in Craziest Tennis Moments
