Kim Clijsters

Lore & Background

Kim Clijsters was born on 8 June 1983 in Bilzen, Belgium, to athletic parents: her father Lei was a professional soccer player and her mother Els was a Belgian national artistic gymnastics champion. She began playing tennis at age five after her father built a clay court at home. Clijsters trained intensively from a young age, working with coaches including Bart Van Kerckhoven and Benny Vanhoudt. As a junior, she won two Grand Slam doubles titles and reached the Wimbledon girls' singles final. She turned professional in 1997 and won her first WTA title in 1999 at the Luxembourg Open. Clijsters retired in 2007 at age 23 due to injuries and loss of desire, then returned two years later to win the US Open as an unranked player. She defended that title and won the Australian Open in 2011, becoming the first mother ranked world No. 1. She retired again after the 2012 US Open and had a short-lived comeback from 2020 to 2022.

Reader's Guide

Kim Clijsters is significant for her remarkable career achievements and pioneering role as a mother in professional tennis. Alongside compatriot Justine Henin, she elevated Belgium to a leading force in women's tennis, winning the Fed Cup in 2001. Her four singles majors include the 2005 US Open, her first, and three titles after becoming a mother, co-holding the record for most major singles titles won as a mother with Margaret Court. Clijsters was known for her athleticism, including performing splits on court, and her controlled aggression. She won the Karen Krantzcke Sportsmanship Award eight times and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2017. Her legacy includes demonstrating that players can return to elite levels after childbirth, and her popularity made her a beloved figure in the sport.

Did You Know?

• Clijsters won the US Open in 2009 as an unranked player in just her third tournament back from retirement.
• She co-holds the record for most major singles titles won as a mother, with three, alongside Margaret Court.
• Clijsters was the first mother to be ranked world No. 1 in women's singles.
• She won the Karen Krantzcke Sportsmanship Award eight times.