WTA Legends

Kim Clijsters

Belgium

D.O.B.
Jun 8
1983

Height
5' 8 1/2'"
1.74 m

Weight
150 lbs.
68 kg

Plays
Right-handed
two-handed backhand

Status
Pro (1997)
Retired (Sept. 3, 2012)

Biography

Father, Leo, was a soccer coach and Belgium's 1988 Player of the Year (deceased January 4, 2009); mother, Els, was a top gymnast in Belgium; has a younger sister, Elke (was ITF Junior Doubles World Champion) ... Married on July 13, 2007 to American pro basketball player Brian Lynch (who played for Antwerp Giants until May 2009); gave birth to first child, Jada, on February 27, 2008; had second child, Jack, in October 2013 ... Player most admired is Steffi Graf ... Also enjoys soccer, squash, badminton, jet skiing ... Favorite movies are Gladiator, Hurricane ... Likes listening to Alterbridge, Anouk, Staind, BeyoncÂ‚ ... Likes shopping in New York, Antwerp, London ... Ideal getaway is family holiday in mountains or water sports at beach ... Best memories are winning 2002 WTA Championships (first win over S.Williams in final), first Grand Slam title at 2005 US Open and winning 2009 US Open ("a fairytale comeback to share with my family forever").

Career Highlights

SINGLES
Winner (41): 2011 - Australian Open; 2010 - Brisbane, Miami, Cincinnati, US Open, WTA Championships; 2009 - US Open; 2007 - Sydney; 2006 - Warsaw, Stanford, Hasselt; 2005 - Indian Wells, Miami, Eastbourne, Stanford, Los Angeles, Toronto, US Open, Luxembourg, Hasselt; 2004 - Paris [Indoors], Antwerp; 2003 - Sydney, Indian Wells, Rome, 's-Hertogenbosch, Stanford, Los Angeles, Filderstadt, Luxembourg, WTA Championships; 2002 - Hamburg, Filderstadt, Luxembourg, WTA Championships; 2001 - Stanford, Leipzig, Luxembourg; 2000 - Hobart, Leipzig; 1999 - Luxembourg, ITF/Sheffield-GBR; 1998 - ITF/Brussels 1-BEL, ITF/Koksijde-BEL.
Finalist (19): 2011 - Sydney, Paris [Indoors]; 2007 - Antwerp; 2006 - Antwerp, San Diego; 2004 - Australian Open; 2003 - Antwerp, Scottsdale, Berlin, Roland Garros, San Diego, US Open; 2002 - Stanford, Tokyo [Princess Cup]; 2001 - Indian Wells, Roland Garros, 's-Hertogenbosch; 2000 - Filderstadt; 1999 - Bratislava.

DOUBLES
Winner (11): 2003 - Sydney, Antwerp, Scottsdale, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, San Diego, ZÂrich (all w/Sugiyama); 2002 - Los Angeles (w/Dokic), Luxembourg (w/Husarova); 2000 - Antwerp (w/Appelmans); 1999 - Bratislava (w/Courtois); 1998 - ITF/Brussels 1-BEL (w/de Ville), ITF/Brussels 2-BEL (w/Schuurmans), ITF/Ramat Hasharon-ISR (w/Henin).
Finalist (9): 2003 - Indian Wells, Berlin, WTA Championships (all w/Sugiyama); 2001 - Scottsdale (w/Shaughnessy), 's-Hertogenbosch (w/Oremans), Wimbledon (w/Sugiyama), Tokyo [Princess Cup] (w/Sugiyama); 2000 - Hobart (w/Molik), Leipzig (w/Courtois).

MIXED DOUBLES
Finalist (1): 2000 - Wimbledon (w/Hewitt).

ADDITIONAL
Belgian Fed Cup Team, 2000-06, 2010-11; Belgian Olympic Team, 2012.

Career Review

- Played first event of career at ITF/Koksijde-BEL; played first WTA event at Antwerp in 1999 (reached QFs as qualifier); burst into prominence at 1999 US Open (l. to S.Williams 46 62 75 in 3r; led 5-3 third set - S.Williams would go on to win the title).
- Won 34 WTA titles in first career, highlighted by first Grand Slam title at 2005 US Open (d. Pierce in final); also runner-up 17 times, incl. Grand Slam finals at 2001 French Open (l. to Capriati), 2003 French Open (l. to Henin), 2003 US Open (l. to Henin) and 2004 Australian Open (l. to Henin).
- Spent 19 weeks at No.1 in first career, first rising to No.1 on August 11, 2003 (spent 12 of next 13 weeks there) and then again on January 30, 2006 (adding seven more weeks to total).
- Excelled in doubles in first career, winning two Grand Slam doubles titles at French Open and Wimbledon in 2003 (both w/Sugiyama) and rising to No.1 in doubles on August 4, 2003 (spent three weeks there).
- Announced retirement on May 6, 2007.
- Announced in March 2009 she would be coming out of retirement in the summer.
- Won 7 WTA titles in second career, highlighted by second, third and fourth Grand Slam titles at 2009 US Open (d. Wozniacki in final), 2010 US Open (d. Zvonareva in final) and 2011 Australian Open (d. Li in final); victory at 2009 US Open was historic in a few ways - was first WC ever to win a Grand Slam title, was first mother to win a Grand Slam title since 1980 Wimbledon (Goolagong Cawley) and made highest ranking debut afterwards on September 14, reappearing on rankings at No.19 (tied with Jaeger).
- Returned to No.1 for one week on February 14, 2011 (spent one week there - first mother to rank No.1).
- Only player ever to beat both Williams sisters at the same event twice, at 2002 WTA Championships (d. V.Williams in SFs and S.Williams in F) and 2009 US Open (d. V.Williams in 4r and S.Williams in SFs).
- Comeback was eventually marred by injury, missing several Grand Slams - 2010 French Open w/left foot injury, 2011 Wimbledon w/right ankle injury, 2011 US Open w/abdominal injury and 2012 French Open w/right hip injury.
- Having announced 2012 would be final season, played last singles match on August 29, 2012 at US Open (l. to Robson in 2r) and last overall match in mixed doubles three days later (w/B.Bryan).