When Kim Clijsters waved to the crowds for the last time after winning her first Grand Slam title at Flushing Meadows, she probably never dreamed that it would be her last appearance at the US Open.
Her best appearance at the US Open now will go down in history as being her last appearance. She wanted to compete in 2006 in hopes of defending her title, but a wrist injury forced her to withdraw only weeks before the tournament. This season she’ll be skipping the Grand Slam for a completely different reason; it falls only weeks after her marriage to American Brian Lynch.
Clijsters’ announcement today was hardly a surprise as the former world number one has hinted for weeks that her last Grand Slam will be Wimbledon.
“I’ll be playing the remaining tournaments especially because I promised the people I would come,” said Clijsters on her official website. “Currently I also consider playing doubles at Wimbledon (maybe mixed) to be able to stay a bit longer at my final Grand Slam tournament.”
Never a lover of clay courts, Kim has pulled out of Roland Garros as well in hopes of saving herself to compete at Wimbledon.
SW19 holds pleasant memories for the congenial Belgian as she reached the semifinals twice in 2003 and 2006. Both years she was halted in her tracks by two women that ironically are among the early favorites for this year’s title – Venus Williams and Justine Henin.
Such a bad day for tennis
I’ve been a Kim fan for a while, but I can’t help but feel she’s giving me, and other tennis fans, the [edit: cold shoulder]. Come on? Not play the U.S. Open? You’d think that would be the one where she’d want to say goodbye. I really don’t understand.
Amy
I am so bummed over this…can you imagine all that talent and giving it up to be a homemaker?…she has plenty of time for that – like the rest of her life……she has the ability to grab a few more slams – several million more dollars and many more memories….It drives me crazy when these phenoms throw in the towel at such an early age….someone talk some sense into this child
maybe one should not be harsh to kim. well, she knew what she wanted at the start of 2007 season..that it is her farewell season. she is tired of all her recurring injuries, and she wants to start a family. some start it little late like lindsay and jon (after 4years), some wants it right away like kim. sad as it is, let’s enjoy her last season the way kim wants it to be.