Aged 36, Belgian tennis star Kim Clijsters is one of the most popular tennis players of her generation. The four-time Grand Slam champion was ranked number one more than once in her career. After her retirement in 2012, she was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2017. She has recently announced that she will be coming out of retirement and aims to play in 2020. Let’s take an in-depth look at the life of the Belgian tennis legend.
Family background and Bio
Kim Clijsters was born on 8th June 1983 in Bilzen, Belgium to her father Lei Clijsters and mother Els Vandecaetsbeek. Her parents were both professional athletes. Her father played football for the Belgium national team while her mother was a national artistic gymnastics champion. Her father Lei passed away due to lung cancer in 2009. Clijsters also has a younger sister Elke who also played tennis. Clijsters turned pro in 1997. She is 5ft 8 inches tall which is around 1.74 m and plays tennis right-handed.
Clijsters’ children, husband, and Net worth
Clijsters is married to former professional basketball player Brian Lynch. The two married in 2007. Clijsters then retired from tennis to focus on her new life. They had a daughter Jada Elle in 2008. After the birth of her daughter, Clijsters returned to tennis in 2009 and won 3 major Grand Slam titles becoming the third WTA player to win a major title after having a child. The other two are Margret Court and Evonne Goolagong. Clijsters retired in 2012 and the couple has two other sons Jack, born in 2013 and Blake, born in 2016. Clijsters is estimated to have a net worth of $20 million.
Career accomplishments
After turning pro in 1997, Clijsters went on to have an accomplished career. Together with fellow Belgian Henin, she led her country to Fed Cup glory in 2001. She was ranked world number one in both singles and doubles in the year 2003. Clijsters has won 41 singles titles and 11 doubles titles on the WTA tour. She has four Grand Slam titles, winning the US Open three times, with the first coming in 2001, and the Australian Open once. Her success has seen her named the Belgian Sportswoman of the Year on many occasions as well as winning the WTA Player of the Year award.
2020 Comeback
Clijsters will be coming out of retirement and is focusing on playing in the WTA tour in 2020. Speaking of her intentions, Clijsters said, “For the past seven years, I’ve been a full-time mom. And I love it. I really, really do. But I also loved being a professional tennis player. And honestly, I miss that feeling. So… what if I tried to do both. Let’s come back one more time. See you in 2020.”
Kim Clijsters |
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