It’s official: Kim Clijsters will again play on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. Her return from retirement is planned for the US hardcourt season.
The former world No.1 has asked for Cincinnati, Toronto and US Open wildcards. According to the plans, the tennis player who retired in May 2007 will make her comeback on August 10, at the Cincinnati Open.
“When I started preparing for the Wimbledon game with Steffi Graf I felt this drive. I wanted a new challenge. This is just for fun for now to see if I can do it,” said the 25-year-old Clijsters, the winner of 34 singles titles.
“I don’t need to be number one again. I have done that and I don’t need to do it again. I am just going to see how things evolve.”
After retiring from tennis, Clijsters married basketball player Brian Lynch and gave birth to daughter Jada. (source: Reuters, photo: Stephane Martinache)
All I can say is YAY!!!!! Wonderful news for womens tennis
YES!! Bring back the Belgians! I know Justine isn’t playing anymore, and probably won’t come back, but I can always dream. I loved those years! I can’t wait to see Kim play!
YES!~The golden reign of the WTA Tour is partially restored now that Kim Clijsters has returned to illuminate and revive the presently dessicated game of women’s tennis once more… Let’s unite and hope Juju follows suit! Watch this space!
Sorry to disagree with you ladies, every time a player returns from retirement you get a lesser version of that player. She said, “This is just for fun” it doesn’t strike me as she will restore order on WTA Tour, if she wants to have “fun” she should have tried exhibition games like Kournikova.
Just another player tempting a fail comeback Davenport and Hingis, ring a bell?
The WTA Tour is in such chaotic turmoil, to the extent where even Clijster’s ‘fun’ will suffice restoration; Dina dominance at sunrise Dina despair by midnight whilst JJ and Ana fluctuate like the ASX Sharemarket, JJ at her trough, and Ana from recession has a glimpse of recovery and they are world no. 2, 3 and 7 respectively.
Just another early ray of sunlight penetrating murky, opaque waters.
Well I read somewhere else that she wasn’t just going to come back and lose in the 1st round of the tournaments she’s entering. She wants to win, so clearly she still has the drive, if she’s practicing a lot more. If it’s just for fun, she wouldn’t need to do it competitively, so I’m excited!
Ms. Zuleika very poetic writing you had me running to dictionary, I liked the stock market comparison :). I think Serena and Venus Williams has shown consistency since the U.S. Open 08. I agree with you on the inconsistency of Dina, JJ, and Ana. I’m going to wait and see if the youngsters Cornet, Azarenka, A Radwanska, and Wozniacki will develop in the next consistent top ten player. My guess it will be Azarenka.
Ms. Lilly, Mrs. KIm C also said, “I don’t need to be number one again”. Remember she is now married with child, her priorities have changed since her first retirement. Having many personal issues at at hand, it doesn’t strike me as someone who will excel.
I do agree that when Hingis and Davenport came back they did not reach the heights that they had previously enjoyed, but Hingis was 26 and she did get back to 6 in the world and Davenport was 31 and won 4 titles. Their comebacks were not completely unsuccessful! Kim has time on her side and I just hope that she won’t disappoint her many fans, including myself.
Ms. Brona (sorry, I know I’m misspelling your name I can’t get the punctuation over the O for some reason)on Davenport’s return all I can think is her knee injuries. The only player in the top 10 that she beat was Ivanovic at Miami and that was after Ivanovic won Indian Wells. Fatigue was against Ivanovic. If I recall Davenport pulled out of the Miami after she defeated Ivanovic. I playfully call Davenport’s victories ‘The Masters Of Knee Injury’ and I call Hingis’ ‘The Cocaine Grand Slam’. I don’t know if Hingis was under the influence when she played, believe it or not it does give an edge.
Well, obviously Kim knows that she has different priorities, but I’m pretty sure she’ll be able to separate her tennis life and her family life, or else she wouldn’t do it. Plus, other moms have had success, ex. Sybille Bammer, and she was a bit older. Kim’s had more success and is younger, so I think she’ll be dominant if she works hard.
eh, i hate kim. shes lying. of course shes back to claim the number 1 spot. who isnt. does she really believe that we believe her. i dont think so! what she needs to be doing is looking after her child. what kind of mother is she.
jacob, i don’t think kim’s lying. i think she missed tennis and would like to get the taste of it once again, but isn’t putting any pressure on herself in terms of results.
also, i don’t think she’ll neglect her child because of tennis, i believe that little jada will come first.
I still haven’t seen a player/mom dominate the game of tennis, and I don’t think a player/mom has cracked the top 25 ranking. For the reason that Ms. Marija stated, Mrs. Kim C won’t reach the heights that everyone is expecting.
Ok, but the thing that she supposedly can’t dominate or reach the top 25 doesn’t mean her return should be considered meaningless.
And as you already know, Carlos, I find Davenport’s comeback very successful. She won more titles since her return than many players reach in their whole careers.
Ms. Marija I respectfully disagree with you. I always ask the question ‘If a player is not coming back to dominate or win what is the point of their return?’ Every athlete wants to win and dominate the sport they participate in. I do agree with you that Davenport won more titles in her comeback than most players do in their entire careers, Kournikova comes to mind. But to me Davenport’s comeback and other players who do so are hollow, they epitomize why a player comes back: Because They Miss The Spot Light.
Let’s be serious here. Kim Clijsters coming back “for fun” now, will still be enough to wallop the rest of the tour bar the Williams and Sharapova. That would make it a pretty good comeback. An 80% Clijsters is enough for the pathetic tour now. And I guess some of you intent on bashing forget that Kim also said to the effect of “If I’m playing to lose 1st round, I might as well go on holiday”
She is going to continue to be a mother first and foremost. Her husband and her have both emphasized this in all their interviews. But if you think having a child means bad sporting results, you obviously havent seen the likes of Jana Rawlinson and Japanese judokas, just to name a few. It is rare in tennis only because the girls tend to start young and have the prime of their careers in their early 20s, when they’re still not thinking of children. Kim pretty much has a perfect support system.
And Jacob: if you think the only thing a mother player is concerned about is number 1, you need to rethink your priorities. Kim’s gotten to number 1 already, it is no longer a much sought after goal. Nice if she gets it, doesnt matter if she doesnt. Moreover, with Jankovic and possibly Safina reaching number 1 now, there’s not much prestige left anyway
Ice, tennis is a sport that a player does a lot of travelling more than any other sport because of this, comparing tennis to other sports is comparing apples and oranges. If Mrs. Kim C decides to come back as a full time player it will take a toll on her family life, I hope not. Remember Mr. Agassi’s divorce from Brooke Shields? It was due to not enough time together. I don’t doubt that Mrs. Kim C will put family first, but is the nature of the sport of tennis that makes family life difficult. The only way I see Mrs. Kim C being successful if she plays a shorter schedule, playing tournaments closer to home and the ones of more importance (grand slams etc.).
I don’t like players retiring than coming back male or female, married or single period; also I NEVER said that mom/athletes can’t dominate the sport that they participate in, I said ‘I haven’t seen a player/mom dominate the game of tennis’. By the way Ice, personally Dara Torres is a better example of a mom/athlete.
GREAT!!! AND I CAN ONLY WISH THAT KIM WILL INVITE JUSTINE TO RETURN WITH HER!!!
IT WOULD BE A DREAM COME TRUE///
Nah, how about Amanda Coetser for that matter 😀
Kim just beat Na Li at the US Open, after winning from Venus in the previous round. Nobody ain’t got nuthin’ on Kim!