Former world number one Kim Clijsters is relishing the feeling of being back on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour circuit and is already adding more stops to her pre-US Open calendar.
The 2009 Rogers Cup in Toronto, Canada has announced that Clijsters has accepted a wild card into next week’s tournament at the Rexall Centre.
Three women have received wild card entries into the ladies singles main draw of Rogers Cup scheduled for August 15-23. Clijsters, along with Canadians Stephanie Dubois and Valerie Tetreault will be among the 56 players competing in the third-oldest tournament behind only Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.
“We are excited to add Kim, Stephanie and Valerie to the main draw of Rogers Cup,” said tournament director Karl Hale. “They will add excitement and high-level tennis to one of the best player fields in the world. Canadians have shown they belong on the world tennis stage.”
Clijsters, the 2005 Rogers Cup champion, has returned to tennis after a two-year absence following marriage and the birth of her first child. Clijsters was ranked No. 1 for 19 weeks on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour and is one of only five women to hold the top spot for both singles and doubles simultaneously.
Her first Tour match after retirement was a 6-4, 6-3 victory over world No. 13 Marion Bartoli in the first round at Cincinnati on Monday.
