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Clijsters answered that call in 2009. After a 28-month sabbatical, the 26-year-old decided to focus once again on her unfinished tennis career. It was preparation for the inauguration ceremony of the roof on the Wimbledon Centre Court which instilled the fighting spirit, awoke the champion’s mind and urged Clijsters to immerse herself in the searing competition once again.
What transpired after that was truly fairytale stuff and the world was left spellbound! Much had changed in her life but her tremendous love and unwavering motivation had remained unaltered. Clijsters didn’t need a lot of time to give a testament of that. Her first two tournaments exhibited that Clijsters had never been away!
It all culminated in an unbelievable US Open performance that summer as she defeated both Venus Williams and Serena Williams en route to becoming the first woman since Evonne Goolagong in 1980 to clinch a major as a mother. When her lovely and innocent daughter, Jada, joined her in the on-court celebrations, it was a priceless picture of heart-melting warmth, and Clijsters’ comeback was complete.
With the continuous support of her family and their unconditional love, the ever affable Clijsters was now in a much more stable and secure situation mentally and it very much reflected in her game. With the wealth of her experience, she continued to surge on the WTA circuit, handling the teens with consummate ease and reminding her peers that she was indeed back.
After being bestowed with the WTA Comeback Player of the Year award, Clijsters showed amazing self-assurance and superb equanimity to come back next year to successfully defend her US Open crown. It was a far cry from the faltering Clijsters who stumbled in the first four of her major finals. At the Aussie Open next year, Kim was truly rechristened ‘Aussie Kim’ as she conquered the Aussie hearts to get her fourth Grand Slam title at the Melbourne Park and subsequently ascended to the summit of the world rankings.
As Clijsters became the first mother ever to become the top-ranked player, she had become a true inspiration for working mothers all over the globe. When she eventually retired for a second time by bowing out to Laura Robson in her final singles match at the US Open, it seemed that it was apt that a fledgling talent and a future star had to draw the curtains on a glittering career that saw the accumulation of 41 singles titles.
Clijsters, with her pleasing persona and geniality, will always be adored and revered by tennis aficionados all over the world. She exemplified that it is possible to simultaneously balance a remarkable professional career and a successful family life and emerge triumphant on both fronts. Today, as Kim Clijsters celebrates her 30th birthday and goes through another emotional phase of her life, awaiting the birth of her second child, here’s wishing her all the very best for the future.
