Champions of 2011: Kim Clijsters – Australian Open Women’s Singles
Former world number one Kim Clijsters was born on the 8th of June 1983 into a Belgian athletic family. Her father Leo was burgeon soccer coach and mother, Els, was a gymnast. After years of training and sharpening her tennis nous,
Clijsters became a professional tennis player in 1997. In 1998, she finished as a runner up at Wimbledon Championships junior event which put her on the lime light.
Although, Clijsters had an amazing professional tennis career, a good deal changed for her after bidding farewell to professional tennis in 2007. She had married, had a baby daughter and her father had passed away from Lung cancer.
Nonetheless, in 2009 the Belgian made a return to Professional tennis by obtaining a wildcard entry to contest for the US Open and it was history in making when she overpowered the current world number one Caroline Wozniacki in the title match.
Clijsters decided to take part in the Australian Open for the first time in 2000 though she had previously made third and fourth round appearances at 1999 Wimbledon and 1999 US Open respectively . However, a disappointing Melbourne
Park debut for the Belgian as she lost in the first round to Dominique Monami. She again tried her hand in 2001 and managed to reach the fourth round of the event. A brief sweetheart to Aussie star and former world number one, Lleyton Hewitt, Clijsters enjoyed
the local support from the Australians in years to follow as she became a semi finalist four times; in 2002-03 and then again in 2006-07.
After a prolonged absence from tennis, Clijsters made a return to Melbourne Park in 2010 though saw an early round exit at the hands of Nadia Petrova. A fighter, survival of the fittest never gave up and finally took home the trophy
in 2011 when she outshone Li Na in the clash of the trophy. Out of the forty six matches played on the hard courts of the Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia, she has won a total of thirty eight matches.
The word powerhouse has become tantamount with Clijsters and she is known for her deep, well placed ground strokes. Her forehand and backhand, shoots the ball at a rocket speed and most players need extra training to learn how
to make a return against Clijsters' volley.
Moreover, most Tennis connoisseurs thought that Clijsters was a ‘choker’ but after winning the 2005 US Open, Clijsters gained more command over her nerves and since 2009 she has been known, along with Serena Williams, as amongst
the harshest players to beat psychologically and emotionally.
Clijsters has won four singles Grand Slams out of which she has accomplished to bag the US Open trophy thrice; in 2010 and back-to-back in 2002 and 2003. Her fourth Grand Slam was achieved this year at the Australian Open. Moreover,
she is also a doubles player and bagged the doubles French Open title and Wimbledon Championships both in 2003. Clijsters became the world number one in doubles on the 4th of August 2003.
Other than juggling a career, looking after a child and her husband, Clijsters has also won many accolades and awards off the court. The most recent was when she was awarded the ‘WTA Player of the year’ award for 2010 and also
‘WTA Player Service award’ for all her charity work. The TIME magazine named her one of the ’30 legends of Women’s Tennis; Past Present and Future’ this year in June.
An added laurel to an otherwise decorated career, Clijsters played in only a few tournaments of 2011 after the Australian Open though failed to clinch any title win. Suffering from an injury, Clijsters decided to call off the rest
of her season after her second round exit at the 2011 Roland Garros. A title favourite following Serena Williams at the 2011 US Open, Clijsters disappointed much of her fan following when she pulled out of Flushing Meadows. However, fans around the globe are
hopeful of a successful return of the Belgian mama in 2012.
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