In two weeks, former world number one Kim Clijsters will make her long-awaited return to the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour professional circuit.
Clijsters is expected to compete in Cincinnati and Toronto before returning to the site of her greatest triumph, the US Open in New York City.
Five years ago, Clijsters won her first—and to-date—only major title on the courts of Flushing Meadows. Little did she realize that it would be so long before she had a chance to return. Injuries plagued her form in 2006, forcing her to withdraw before her title defense. By the time the 2007 US Open rolled around, Clijsters was in retirement and expecting her first child.
Over the past two years, Clijsters has spent a considerable time affirming her decision to announce her sudden retirement from the game of tennis. At only twenty-three years of age, Clijsters was relatively young. However, years of grueling, high-percentage tennis took its toll on her body, especially her left wrist.
It was not until after the death of her father and manager Leo Clijsters in early 2009 did Kim realize that her competition juices were again flowing. Encouraged by the return of another former US Open champion, Lindsay Davenport, Clijsters announced her comeback to the sport on March 26, 2009.
Speaking on a conference call promoting World Team Tennis (Clijsters played for the St. Louis Aces on July 21 and 22), she admitted that one of the hardest parts of her comeback journey was realizing that she had to start from scratch once again.
“Probably the biggest struggle was starting back all over because I hardly played for two years,” Clijsters said.
“For me just to start playing tennis again overall, my strokes were there very quickly. Just physically it was harder because in my mind I know how I wanted to move and I know when I had to run forward or when I had to take a step backwards to hit that shot. My mind and my body weren’t really connecting the same way. I think that was the toughest, was like switching that button in your head and saying, ‘Look, after a week of training, you’re not going to be the same tennis player as when you ended your first career.’”
Clijsters will return to the Tour with a new coach, her former hitting partner Wim Fisette.
“He’s from Belgium. He’s a guy I grew up with, training with even,” Clijsters said. “He was my hitting partner for a while, and now he’s my coach. We get along really well. We see eye-to-eye on a lot of things.”
A comeback also gives Clijsters an opportunity to take care of some unfinished business, most notably in Flushing Meadows next month.
“I’m really excited to go back to the US Open ’cause I never got to defend my title,” Clijsters said. “After I won, I got injured and I wasn’t able to go back there any more. So I’m really excited to go back there and to bring back all the really good memories.”
Even if Clijsters leaves New York City empty-handed, fans will treasure the experience of seeing one of tennis’ finest movers back on her beloved hard courts.
