Kim Clijsters Bio
Kim Antonie Lode Clijsters is a Belgian former professional tennis player. She was ranked as the world No. 1 in women’s singles by the Women’s Tennis Association for 20 weeks and as the world No. 1 in women’s doubles for four weeks, having held both rankings simultaneously in 2003. Clijsters won 41 singles titles and 11 doubles titles on the WTA Tour, including four singles majors and two doubles majors, establishing herself as one of the leading forces in women’s tennis.
Early Life and Background
Kim Clijsters was born on 8 June 1983 in Bilzen, a small town in northeastern Belgium. She grew up with her younger sister Elke in the nearby town of Bree in the Flemish province of Limburg. Kim is the daughter of Lei Clijsters and Els Vandecaetsbeek, both of whom were accomplished athletes. Her mother Els was a Belgian national artistic gymnastics champion, and her father Lei was a professional soccer defender who played for various clubs in the top-flight Belgian First Division. Clijsters credits her parents for giving her a footballer’s legs and a gymnast’s flexibility. She also attributes her success to the freedom they gave her when she was a young player, saying, “They’ve let me make my own decisions.” When Clijsters was five years old, her father built a clay tennis court at their home as a gift to celebrate his victory in the 1988 Gouden Schoen. She began playing tennis earlier that year after attending a lesson with her cousins and her uncle while her parents were away. From then on, she became fixated on the sport.
Path to Tennis
Clijsters began playing with her sister at the Tennisdel club in Genk by the time she was seven. Her first coach Bart Van Kerckhoven recalled that she was extremely energetic and never wanted to leave the tennis court. At the age of nine, Clijsters began working with Benny Vanhoudt in Diest, training for fifteen hours a week. She continued to train in Diest until she was twelve. During this time, she also first worked with Carl Maes and Wim Fissette, both of whom would coach Clijsters later in her professional career. Clijsters had success at both the national and international levels at a very young age. In 1993, she won the 12-and-under division of the Belgian Junior Championships in doubles with her future longtime rival Justine Henin. Clijsters played two full seasons on the ITF Junior Circuit, where she won her first ITF title in the doubles event at the Grade A Orange Bowl. In 1998, Clijsters had her best year on the junior tour, finishing the season at career-high rankings of world No. 11 in singles and world No. 4 in doubles.
Kim Clijsters Career
Early Career (1997–1999)
As a fourteen-year-old, Clijsters could only enter professional tournaments through qualifying. In August 1997, she qualified for her first main draw at her second career tournament on the lower-level ITF Women’s Circuit. She won seven matches in total, including five in qualifying, to reach the quarterfinals. Clijsters made her WTA debut at the Flanders Women’s Open in Antwerp in May 1999, entering the main draw as a lucky loser after losing in the final round of qualifying. She won her first career tour-level match against Miho Saeki and advanced to the quarterfinals. At the end of the season, Clijsters was named WTA Newcomer of the Year, having risen to No. 47 in the world.
Breakthrough (2000–2002)
Clijsters maintained her top ten ranking throughout 2002 despite struggling with an ongoing shoulder injury. Her best result at a Grand Slam event came at the Australian Open, where she lost in the semifinals. Nonetheless, she continued to rise in the rankings to No. 3 by March. Clijsters won three singles titles leading up to the year-end WTA Tour Championships in Los Angeles, where she upset Serena Williams in straight sets to win the championship. This was regarded as the best victory of her career. In 2003, Clijsters competed in 21 singles events, reaching the semifinals in all but one of them, advancing to 15 finals, and winning nine titles. She became the first Belgian world No. 1 in singles or doubles, achieving both feats in August.
Notable Works and Milestones
Clijsters’s signature work includes her performances at the US Open, where she won three titles. She was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2017.
Kim Clijsters Award Nominations
Throughout her career, Kim Clijsters has received numerous nominations for her outstanding contributions to tennis, including WTA Player of the Year and Comeback Player of the Year.
Kim Clijsters Awards Won
Kim Clijsters has won several prestigious awards, including multiple WTA titles and the Karen Krantzcke Sportsmanship Award, which she received a record eight times.
Kim Clijsters Family
Kim Clijsters is married to Brian Lynch, an American basketball coach and former player. They have three children: a daughter Jada, born in 2008, and two sons, Jack, born in 2013, and Blake, born in 2016. The family splits their time living in Bree, Belgium, and New Jersey, U.S.
Personal Life
Clijsters has been involved with multiple organizations that help children and founded Ten4Kim, a nonprofit that funds junior tennis players who cannot afford the costs associated with training at a high level. She is known for her dedication to promoting a healthy lifestyle and has been an ambassador for SOS Children’s Villages since 2010.
