About Kim Clijsters
Kim Antonie Lode Clijsters, a professional tennis player from Belgium, was born on June 8, 1983, and her estimated net worth is $25 million. Clijsters held the top spot in both singles and doubles at the same time in 2003, making her a two-time world champion. Six Grand Slam event victories, four in singles and two in doubles, total for her.
Given that both of Kim Clijsters’ parents were prominent athletes in Belgium—her mother in gymnastics and her father in soccer—it comes as no surprise that she has long been regarded as one of the sport’s most skilled athletes. Kim’s ability to cover the court better than nearly anyone and to make fans grimace by performing sliding full splits to stretch for the ball—even on hard courts—makes her father’s leg power and her mother’s suppleness more than visible.
Kim had the potential to excel in nearly any sport, but at age 6, she decided on tennis. By the age of 11, she had won the Belgian Junior Championship, and by the age of 14, she had gained significant junior experience abroad. At the age of 14, she began her professional career. In 1998, she won three ITF doubles titles and two ITF singles titles.
In 1999, Clijsters won her maiden WTA Tour singles championship and advanced to Wimbledon’s fourth round as well as the US Open’s third round. In 2000, she won another WTA singles championship, but she struggled at the Grand Slams, only reaching the first and second rounds. In 2001, Kim had a much better year, winning three additional WTA singles championships and reaching the finals at Roland Garros, the US Open, Wimbledon, and the Australian Open. Kim’s final world ranking in 2001 was fifth.
Her best Grand Slam performance in 2002 was a semifinal at the Australian Open, but the rest of the year was her finest yet as she won four WTA singles championships and the Tour Championships at the conclusion of the year. She came in fourth place overall.
Clijsters had a fantastic 2003; she won nine WTA singles championships, advanced to the finals of the US Open, Wimbledon, and the Australian Open, and finished runner-up at Roland Garros. She also won seven doubles championships, including Wimbledon and the Roland Garros. She concluded the year at #2 after 12 weeks in the top spot in the late summer. Kim’s erratic play in her two Grand Slam finals, where her large numbers of unforced mistakes were almost probably caused by nervousness, was the only thing that let her down in 2003.
Kim had a strong start to 2004 by reaching the Australian Open final, but left wrist issues forced her to miss the majority of the rest of the season and the 2005 Australian Open. Kim, however, made a stunning comeback in the spring and summer of 2005, winning nine singles matches as well as her maiden major, the US Open. Additionally, she advanced to Wimbledon’s and Roland Garros’ fourth rounds. Kim was ranked second at the end of 2005.
Clijsters won three more WTA singles championships in 2006 and advanced to the semifinals of the year’s first three Grand Slam tournaments, but she missed out on a number of competitions, including the US Open, due to injuries to her ankle, hip, and wrist. Kim nonetheless completed 2006 in fifth place.
Clisters kicked up 2007 with victories in Sydney and the Australian Open semifinals. She then declared her immediate retirement from the Tour following the conclusion of two additional tournaments. She stated that she intended to create a family, and she did it by getting married to American professional basketball player Brian Lynch and giving birth to Jada in February 2008.
Kim’s unexpected reappearance in 2009 was more shocking than her abrupt retirement in 2007. Kim had two respectable runs at WTA events as she got back into match form, but by late summer, she hadn’t competed in enough matches to earn a ranking or, of course, qualify for the US Open. The US Open granted her a wild card based on her past performance, and it proved to be a historic one as Kim became the first unranked wildcard to ever win a Grand Slam tournament. Little Jada probably made every fan wish for more mother wins as the TV cameras caught some adorable moments of her seeing herself on the stadium’s big screen and playing with her mom’s trophy after the awards ceremonies. Kim’s US Open victory also made her the first mother since Evonne Goolagong in 1980 to win a major title.
In addition to her incredible strength and power, Kim Clijsters has consistently been one of the most well-liked athletes on the WTA Tour.
Basic Info
- Date of Birth: 6/8/83
- Nation: Belgium
- Height: 5’8.5″
- Weight: 150 lbs
- Turned Pro: 1998
- Best Singles Grand Slams: Won US Open in 2010, 2009, and 2005; finalist in 2003. Won Australian Open in 2011; finalist in 2004. Finalist at Roland Garros in 2003 and 2001.
- Plays: Right-handed, with two-handed backhand.
- Basic Style: Power baseliner, comfortable on whole court.
- Greatest Strengths: Exceptional defensive abilities based on speed and athleticism. Deep, powerful, well placed groundstrokes with good variety of spins.
- Room for Improvement: Patches of sloppy play, especially in big matches, are now becoming shorter and rarer.
Clijsters did not compete in the 2021 Australian Open. As of 2023, Kim Clijsters’ net worth is estimated to be $25 million. In 2017, Clijsters was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame
