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Post by Admin on Aug 25, 2020 20:22:06 GMT
Four-time Grand Slam champion Kim Clijsters withdrew from the Western & Southern Open on Friday because of an abdominal injury that she wants to rest before the US Open.
The 37-year-old Belgian already is a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame and came out of retirement this year.
The US Open, which starts Aug. 31, would be her first Grand Slam tournament since she competed at Flushing Meadows in 2012, losing in the second round.
The Western & Southern Open begins Saturday in New York at the same site used for the US Open. The hard-court tuneup normally is held in Cincinnati but was moved this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.
"I have great memories from playing in Cincinnati and was looking forward to being a part of the event this year," Clijsters said. "It's disappointing to have to withdraw, but after discussions with medical and my team, I need a little more recovery time."
Clijsters said she will remain in the bubble set up by the U.S. Tennis Association for the two tournaments and "continue to prepare with my team."
Clijsters, a former No. 1-ranked player, won singles championships at the US Open in 2005, 2009 and 2010, along with another Grand Slam singles trophy at the Australian Open in 2011.
She was given wild-card invitations by the USTA for both the singles and doubles events at the US Open.
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Post by Admin on Sept 1, 2020 19:14:25 GMT
Tomorrow, Belgian tennis player and four-time Grand Slam singles champion Kim Clijsters will return to the court at the U.S. Open for the first time in eight years. She retired in 2012, after which she took time to be with her three children and focus on business ventures. And though Clijsters did make her official return to tennis in February during the Women’s Tennis Association tour stops in Dubai and Monterrey, this week’s U.S. Open spot will be her first major match in years. She will be playing against the 21st seed, Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova. It’s a momentous occasion for the 37-year-old Clijsters, especially considering she has won three U.S. Open championships, so she wanted to wear something special for her comeback. Early in her career, Clijsters was sponsored by Fila, but in this new era of her trajectory, she’s chosen to skip the partnerships with big-name sports labels and work with an independently owned, Black female–led brand instead. For the last few months, Clijsters has been working alongside Full Court Sport founder, designer, and fellow sports lover Marguerite Wade on a custom look for the U.S. Open. The designs include a minimal teal tennis dress, navy shorts, and logo T-shirt, and they will all be available in limited quantities on the Full Court Sport website beginning tomorrow after Clijsters’s match. This is the first time since Full Court Sport’s launch in 2016 that a professional athlete has worn its clothes during a game (or in this case, a match). Wade is based in New York City, but her label is produced in Portland, Oregon. Her collections are highly functional and as stylish in action as they are for everyday life. The line is tennis focused, with both monochrome and color-block leggings and skirts that come with comfortable ball pockets. It also includes sweats, sports bras, windbreakers, tees and tanks fit for any kind of sport. Clijsters discovered Full Court Sport while searching for independent athletic apparel labels online, and she immediately felt connected to the brand and drawn to its sleek, sharp style. Clijsters also wanted to use her return to the court as a vehicle to promote and empower an independent label, rather than a well-known athletic brand. As she explains, “At this stage in my career and life, I understand the power of action an athlete can have, so I try to use my platform to give others the opportunity to tell their story.” Wade was thrilled when Clijsters reached out, despite worries that a collaboration would be tricky due to the circumstances surrounding the global pandemic. Still, “I couldn’t think of a more worthwhile challenge,” Wade says of the initial discussions for the project. “It was tough—fabricators were closed or backed up; physical contact was limited. But it was with the help of so many people that I was able to work on this collaboration, and I’m very grateful. As Arthur Ashe said: ‘Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.’”
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Post by Admin on Sept 2, 2020 19:03:58 GMT
It was almost a dream grand slam comeback for Kim Clijsters, but the Belgian's US Open first round match ultimately ended in heartbreak.
The three-time champion powered her way to an early lead but couldn't hold it, with Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova completing a thrilling come-from-behind victory.
Clijsters won the opening set to leave fans dreaming about what might be, but the 37-year-old couldn't see complete the fairytale as she succumbed to a 3-6, 7-5, 6-1 defeat.
"It's a process," Clijsters said after the match.
"That's what I told myself at the start when I took this challenge on - that it's going to take a lot of hard work and losses."
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