View source for Kim Clijsters

{{Short description|Belgian former tennis player (born 1983)}}
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{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2023}}
{{Infobox tennis biography
|name = Kim Clijsters
|image = Kim Clijsters.jpg
|caption = Clijsters in 2011 
|alt = Close-up portrait of Clijsters smiling with her tennis racket
|country = {{flag|Belgium}}
|residence = [[Bree, Belgium|Bree]], Belgium<br />[[New Jersey]], U.S.
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1983|6|8}}<ref name="wta-profile"/>
|birth_place = [[Bilzen]], Belgium
|height = 1.74 m (5 ft 8½ in)
|turnedpro = 17 August 1997
|retired = 2007–2009; 2012–2020; 12 April 2022
|plays = Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
|coach = [[Fred Hemmes Jr.]] (2020–2022)
|careerprizemoney = {{US$|24,545,194|link=yes}}
* [[WTA Tour records#WTA career prize money leaders|15th in all-time rankings]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Career Prize Money Leaders |url=http://wtafiles.wtatennis.com/pdf/rankings/All_Career_Prize_Money.pdf |website=WTA Tennis |access-date=4 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191106082954/http://wtafiles.wtatennis.com/pdf/rankings/All_Career_Prize_Money.pdf |archive-date=6 November 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>
|tennishofyear = 2017
|tennishofid = kim-clijsters
|website = [https://www.kimclijsters.com/ kimclijsters.com]
|singlesrecord = {{tennis win loss percentage|W=523|L=132|dec=2}} 
|singlestitles = 41 
|highestsinglesranking = [[List of WTA number 1 ranked singles tennis players|No. '''1''']] (11 August 2003)
|AustralianOpenresult = '''W''' ([[2011 Australian Open – Women's singles|2011]])
|FrenchOpenresult = F ([[2001 French Open – Women's singles|2001]], [[2003 French Open – Women's singles|2003]])
|Wimbledonresult = SF ([[2003 Wimbledon Championships – Women's singles|2003]], [[2006 Wimbledon Championships – Women's singles|2006]])
|USOpenresult = '''W''' ([[2005 US Open – Women's singles|2005]], [[2009 US Open – Women's singles|2009]], [[2010 US Open – Women's singles|2010]])
|Othertournaments = yes
|WTAChampionshipsresult ='''W''' ([[2002 WTA Tour Championships|2002]], [[2003 WTA Tour Championships|2003]], [[2010 WTA Tour Championships|2010]])
|Olympicsresult= QF ([[Tennis at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Women's singles|2012]])
|doublesrecord = {{tennis record|won=131|lost=55}}
|doublestitles = 11 
|highestdoublesranking = [[List of WTA number 1 ranked doubles tennis players|No. '''1''']] (4 August 2003)
|AustralianOpenDoublesresult = QF ([[2003 Australian Open – Women's doubles|2003]])
|FrenchOpenDoublesresult ='''W''' ([[2003 French Open – Women's doubles|2003]])
|WimbledonDoublesresult ='''W''' ([[2003 Wimbledon Championships – Women's doubles|2003]])
|USOpenDoublesresult = QF ([[2002 US Open (tennis)#Women's doubles|2002]])
| OthertournamentsDoubles = yes
| WTAChampionshipsDoublesresult = F ([[2003 WTA Tour Championships|2003]])
| Mixed = yes
| mixedtitles =
| mixedrecord =
| AustralianOpenMixedresult =
| FrenchOpenMixedresult = 3R ([[2000 French Open – Mixed doubles|2000]])
| WimbledonMixedresult = F ([[2000 Wimbledon Championships#Mixed doubles|2000]])
| USOpenMixedresult = 2R ([[2012 US Open – Mixed doubles|2012]])
| Team = yes
| FedCupresult = '''W''' ([[2001 Fed Cup|2001]])
| HopmanCupresult = RR ([[2001 Hopman Cup|2001]], [[2002 Hopman Cup|2002]], [[2003 Hopman Cup|2003]], [[2004 Hopman Cup|2004]])
}}
'''Kim Antonie Lode Clijsters'''<ref name=uk/> ({{IPA|nl|kɪm ˈklɛistərs|fl|Nl-be kim clijsters.ogg}}; born 8 June 1983) is a Belgian former professional [[tennis]] player. She was ranked as the [[List of WTA number 1 ranked singles tennis players|world No. 1]] in women's singles by the [[Women's Tennis Association]] (WTA) for 20 weeks, and as the [[List of WTA number 1 ranked doubles tennis players|world No. 1]] in women's doubles for 4 weeks, having held both rankings simultaneously in 2003. She won 41 singles titles and 11 doubles titles on the [[WTA Tour]], including four singles [[Grand Slam (tennis)#Tournaments|major]]s and two doubles majors (both partnering [[Ai Sugiyama]]), as well as three singles titles at the [[WTA Finals|Tour Finals]].

Clijsters competed professionally from 1997 in an era in which her primary rivals were compatriot [[Justine Henin]] and [[Serena Williams]]. Coming from a country with little historical success in tennis, she established Belgium as a leading force in women's tennis alongside Henin, as the two of them led their country to their first [[Fed Cup]] crown in [[2001 Fed Cup|2001]] and were the top two players in the world in late 2003. Following defeats in all of her first four major singles finals, Clijsters finally won her first singles major at the [[2005 US Open – Women's singles|2005 US Open]].

Plagued by injuries and having lost desire to compete, Clijsters retired from tennis in 2007 at the age of 23 to get married and have a daughter. She returned to the sport two years later and stunned the tennis world by winning the [[2009 US Open – Women's singles|US Open]] as an unranked player in just her third tournament back. She defended the US Open title [[2010 US Open – Women's singles|the following year]] and then won the [[2011 Australian Open – Women's singles|Australian Open]] in 2011, becoming the first mother to be ranked world No. 1. Along with [[Margaret Court]], she co-holds the record for most major singles titles won as a mother (with three), and was the first mother to win one since [[Evonne Goolagong Cawley]] in 1980. Clijsters retired again following the [[2012 US Open – Women's singles|2012 US Open]]. She had a second, short-lived comeback from 2020 to 2022.

Clijsters was born to athletic parents with backgrounds in professional soccer and gymnastics. She was renowned for her athleticism, which was highlighted by her ability to perform splits on court in the middle of points. She built the offensive side of her game around controlled aggression while also using her exceptional movement to become an elite defensive player. Clijsters was very popular and well-liked as a player, winning the [[WTA Awards#Karen Krantzcke Sportsmanship Award|Karen Krantzcke Sportsmanship Award]] eight times. She was inducted into the [[International Tennis Hall of Fame]] in 2017.

==Early life and background==
Kim Clijsters was born on 8 June 1983 in [[Bilzen]], a small town in northeastern Belgium.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Grasso |first1=John |title=Historical Dictionary of Tennis |date=16 September 2011 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=978-0-8108-7237-0 |page=64 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W39oSS7c2xAC |language=en}}</ref> She grew up with her younger sister [[Elke Clijsters|Elke]] in the nearby town of [[Bree, Belgium|Bree]] in the [[Flemish Region|Flemish]] province of [[Limburg (Belgium)|Limburg]].<ref name="us-open-hof">{{cite web | last1=Clijsters|first1=Kim| date = 2 September 2017 | url-status=live |title=Clijsters: Tennis made all my dreams come true |url=https://www.usopen.org/en_US/news/articles/2017-09-02/2017-08-28_clijsters_tennis_made_all_my_dreams_come_true.html |publisher=US Open |access-date=23 September 2018 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170916084054/https://www.usopen.org/en_US/news/articles/2017-09-02/2017-08-28_clijsters_tennis_made_all_my_dreams_come_true.html | archive-date= 16 September 2017}}</ref> 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. Her father Lei was a professional [[soccer]] [[Defender (association football)|defender]] who played for a variety of clubs in the top-flight [[Belgian First Division]], including [[KV Mechelen]] with whom he won the [[UEFA Cup Winners' Cup]] in [[1988 European Cup Winners' Cup final|1988]]. He was also a member of the [[Belgium national soccer team]], tallying 40 caps and competing in two [[FIFA World Cup|World Cups]].<ref name=father-tribute>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/06/sports/06iht-robweb.19123858.html|title=Farewell to the tranquil captain|last=Hughes|first=Rob|date=6 January 2009|work=The New York Times|access-date=15 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180115184622/https://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/06/sports/06iht-robweb.19123858.html| archive-date= 15 January 2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="si-father-tribute">{{cite magazine |last1=Associated Press | date=4 January 2009| title=Father of Kim Clijsters dies at 52 |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/tennis/01/04/clijsters.father.dies.ap/index.html |magazine=Sports Illustrated |access-date=23 September 2018 |archive-date = 24 January 2009| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090124154113/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/tennis/01/04/clijsters.father.dies.ap/index.html}}</ref> Clijsters credits her parents for giving her a footballer's legs and a gymnast's flexibility.<ref name=uk>{{cite web |title=Kim Clijsters |url=http://en.espn.co.uk/festivefundown/sport/player/1317.html |publisher=ESPN |access-date=13 January 2019 |archive-date=13 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190113231922/http://en.espn.co.uk/festivefundown/sport/player/1317.html |url-status=live}}</ref> 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."<ref name=guardian-rivalry-with-henin>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2003/oct/05/tennis.features|title=Face to Face|last=Bedell|first=Geraldine|date=5 October 2003|work=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=15 January 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180115184848/https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2003/oct/05/tennis.features| archive-date=15 January 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

When Clijsters was five years old, her father built a clay tennis court at their home as a gift to his daughter to celebrate him winning the [[Belgian Golden Shoe|1988 ''Gouden Schoen'']] (player of the year in the Belgian First Division).<ref name=father-tribute/>{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=15}}<ref name=cute-video/> Clijsters began playing tennis earlier that year after attending a lesson with her cousins and her uncle while her parents were away.<ref name=us-open-hof/> From then on, she became fixated on the sport. She 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, adding that, "If the group before her did some sprints to finish off the session, Kim would join in. Then she put her heart and soul into her own training session, after which she joined the next group for their warm-up exercises."{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=15}}

At the age of nine, Clijsters began working with Benny Vanhoudt in the more distant town of [[Diest]]. Along with her sister, she trained for fifteen hours a week, including five hours of individual instruction, which Vanhoudt said was "an insane amount [of total hours]."{{sfn|van de Winkel|2012|loc=chpt. 1}} 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. When she was thirteen, Maes took over as her primary coach at the Flemish Tennis Association in [[Antwerp]].{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=17}}

==Junior 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 (the Coupe de Borman) in doubles with her future longtime rival [[Justine Henin]]. At the time, Clijsters was ten years old and Henin was eleven.{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=15}} A year later, she won the 12-and-under singles event at the same tournament.<ref name="coupe-de-borman">{{cite web |title=Coupe de Borman |url=http://www.tennis-belge.be/Tournois/coupedeborman.php |website=Le site du Tennis Belge |language = fr|access-date=23 September 2018 |archive-date = 12 August 2018| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180812074224/http://www.tennis-belge.be/Tournois/coupedeborman.php| url-status=live}}</ref> Clijsters continued to play alongside Henin, winning the doubles event at the 14-and-under European Junior Championships as well as the 14-and-under European Junior Team Championships for Belgium, both in 1996 and the latter of which also with [[Leslie Butkiewicz]].{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=15}}<ref>{{cite web |title=European Junior Championships 14 & Under |url=http://www.tenniseurope.org/page/16401/ |publisher=Tennis Europe |access-date=23 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612140336/http://www.tenniseurope.org/page/16401/| archive-date = 12 June 2018 | url-status=live}}</ref> Her first big international junior title came at [[Les Petits As]], a high-level 14-and-under tournament. She defeated future top 25 players [[Iveta Benešová]] and [[Elena Bovina]] in the semifinals and final respectively.{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=15}}

Clijsters played two full seasons on the [[ITF Junior Circuit]], the premier junior tour that is run by the [[International Tennis Federation]] (ITF). At the very end of 1997, she partnered with [[Zsófia Gubacsi]] to win her first ITF title in the doubles event at the Grade A [[Orange Bowl (tennis)|Orange Bowl]], one of the highest level junior tournaments.<ref>{{cite web |title=Massu Wins Orange Bowl Tennis |url=https://www.apnews.com/02e2f99e2fd0c077c8a82395a7f41c0b |website=AP News |access-date=23 September 2018 | archive-date = 23 September 2018 | date = 28 December 1997 | url-status=live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180923075521/https://www.apnews.com/02e2f99e2fd0c077c8a82395a7f41c0b}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Final 1998 ITF Junior World Rankings |url=http://www.collegeandjuniortennis.com/itfrnk98.htm |website=College and Junior Tennis |access-date=23 September 2018 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160813054438/http://www.collegeandjuniortennis.com/itfrnk98.htm | archive-date = 13 August 2016| url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="itf-junior-profile">{{cite web |title=Kim Clijsters |url=http://www.itftennis.com/juniors/players/player/profile.aspx?PlayerID=20011723 |publisher=ITF Tennis |access-date=23 September 2018| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304065355/http://www.itftennis.com/juniors/players/player/profile.aspx?PlayerID=20011723| archive-date = 4 March 2016| url-status=live}}</ref> She won two junior Grand Slam doubles titles, the [[1998 French Open|French Open]] with [[Jelena Dokic]] and the [[1998 US Open (tennis)|US Open]] with [[Eva Dyrberg]].<ref>{{cite web |title=International Junior Championships of France |url=https://www.itftennis.com/juniors/tournaments/tournament/info.aspx?tournamentid=1030000346 |publisher=ITF Tennis |access-date=23 September 2018 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171115234050/https://www.itftennis.com/juniors/tournaments/tournament/info.aspx?tournamentid=1030000346| archive-date = 15 November 2017 | url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=1998-us-open-juniors/> She defeated her French Open partner Dokic in the US Open doubles final.<ref name=1998-us-open-juniors>{{cite web |title=1998 US Open Junior Championships |url=https://www.itftennis.com/juniors/tournaments/tournament/info.aspx?tournamentid=1030000941 |publisher=ITF Tennis |access-date=23 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190108100754/https://www.itftennis.com/juniors/tournaments/tournament/info.aspx?tournamentid=1030000941 |archive-date=8 January 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> In singles, she made it to the [[1998 Wimbledon Championships|Wimbledon]] final, but finished runner-up to [[Katarina Srebotnik]].{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=17}}

==Professional career==
===1997–99: Maiden WTA title, Newcomer of the Year===
[[File:Steffi Graf and Kim Clijsters (cropped).jpg|thumb|Clijsters (right) with her idol [[Steffi Graf]] in 2009. Graf won their only meeting on the WTA Tour in 1999.|alt=Clijsters walking onto Wimbledon Centre Court with Steffi Graf.]]
As a fourteen year old, Clijsters could only enter professional tournaments through qualifying since the WTA Tour's policy did not allow players her age to receive main draw [[wild card (sports)|wild cards]]. In August 1997, Clijsters qualified for her first main draw at her second career tournament on the lower-level [[ITF Women's Circuit]], which was held in the Belgian coastal town of [[Koksijde]]. She won seven matches in total, including five in qualifying, to reach the quarterfinals. Clijsters did not enter another professional tournament until after her runner-up finish at the Wimbledon girls' singles event the following summer. Playing in Brussels in July 1998, she won both the singles and doubles events for her first career professional titles. Clijsters continued to excel at the ITF level, winning four more titles within the next year, two in both singles and doubles.{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=17}}<ref name="itf-profile">{{cite web |title=Kim Clijsters |url=https://www.itftennis.com/procircuit/players/player/profile.aspx?playerid=20011723 |publisher=ITF Tennis |access-date=27 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190108200707/https://www.itftennis.com/procircuit/players/player/profile.aspx?playerid=20011723 |archive-date=8 January 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Clijsters began 1999 with a WTA singles ranking of No. 420 in the world.<ref name="wta-rankings">{{cite web |title=Kim Clijsters Rankings History |work=WTA Tennis |date=8 April 2017 |url=http://www.wtatennis.com/players/player/30458/title/Kim-CLIJSTERS#ranking |access-date=27 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180817045743/http://www.wtatennis.com/players/player/30458/title/Kim-CLIJSTERS#ranking |archive-date=17 August 2018 |url-status=live |author1=Admin }}</ref> Around this time, Belgian women's tennis was beginning to flourish. Both [[Dominique Van Roost]] and [[Sabine Appelmans]] had been ranked in the top 20 within the previous two years, complementing the rise of Clijsters and Henin on the junior tour. This success helped lead to the revival of the only WTA tournament in Belgium, which was relaunched as the [[1999 Flanders Women's Open|Flanders Women's Open]] in Antwerp after not being held in six years. Clijsters made her WTA debut at the tournament in May, 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, where she was defeated by top seed [[Sarah Pitkowski]] despite holding match points.{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=20}}

One week after Clijsters turned sixteen, she entered [[1999 Wimbledon Championships|Wimbledon]] as the youngest player in the top 200. After barely having a high enough ranking to get into the qualifying draw, she ultimately made it to the round of sixteen in her Grand Slam tournament debut. She defeated world No. 10 [[Amanda Coetzer]] in the third round and did not drop a set until losing to [[Steffi Graf]] one round later, her only career match against her childhood idol.<ref name=us-open-hof/><ref name="wimbledon1999">{{cite web|url=http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/celebration/players/clijsters01.html |title=A Centre Court Celebration  |publisher=Wimbledon |access-date=24 January 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090518093212/http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/celebration/players/clijsters01.html |archive-date=18 May 2009 }}</ref>{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=21}} Clijsters also had a good showing at the [[1999 US Open (tennis)|US Open]], losing to the eventual champion [[Serena Williams]] in the third round after squandering a chance to [[serve (tennis)|serve]] for the match.{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=21}} Clijsters next played at the [[1999 SEAT Open|Luxembourg Open]] held in the town of [[Kockelscheuer]] just outside the capital. She won the title with relative ease in just her fourth career WTA event, taking affinity for the friendly atmosphere of the smaller tournament and the faster carpet courts. Most notably, she faced off against Van Roost in the final and only conceded four games to the top-ranked Belgian.{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=22}} Clijsters also made the singles final in [[WTA Bratislava|Bratislava]] at her next tournament, finishing runner-up to No. 11 [[Amélie Mauresmo]]. Nonetheless, she was able to win the doubles event with compatriot [[Laurence Courtois]] as her partner.{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=25}} At the end of the season, Clijsters was named [[WTA Newcomer of the Year]], having risen to No. 47 in the world.<ref name="tennis-hof">{{cite web |last=Drucker |first=Joel |title=Kim Clijsters |url=https://www.tennisfame.com/hall-of-famers/inductees/kim-clijsters |publisher=International Tennis Hall of Fame |access-date=28 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180928075336/https://www.tennisfame.com/hall-of-famers/inductees/kim-clijsters |archive-date=28 September 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===2000–02: French Open finalist, Tour champion===
Clijsters was unable to repeat her success at the Grand Slam tournaments in 2000, not advancing past the second round at any of the singles events.<ref name=itf-profile/> However, she continued her steady climb in the rankings up to No. 18 on the strength of two more titles,<ref name=wta-rankings/> one at the [[2000 ANZ Tasmanian International|Tasmanian International]] in her first tournament of the year<ref>{{cite web |title=Tasmanian International; 16-Year-Old Wins |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/01/16/sports/plus-tennis-tasmanian-international-16-year-old-wins.html |website=The New York Times| date = 16 January 2000 | access-date=30 September 2018 |archive-date=4 February 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180204200823/https://www.nytimes.com/2000/01/16/sports/plus-tennis-tasmanian-international-16-year-old-wins.html |url-status=live}}</ref> and another at the [[2000 Sparkassen Cup (tennis)|Sparkassen Cup]] in Germany near the end of the season.<ref name="sparkassen-2000">{{cite web |title=Seventeen-year-old Clijsters wins Sparkassen Cup |url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/tennis/seventeen-year-old-clijsters-wins-sparkassen-cup-1.241697 |publisher=CBC | date = 5 November 2000 | access-date=30 September 2018 |archive-date=30 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180930081827/https://www.cbc.ca/sports/tennis/seventeen-year-old-clijsters-wins-sparkassen-cup-1.241697 |url-status=live}}</ref> The latter victory was Clijsters's first at a Tier II event (the second highest level tournament) and followed up a loss in another Tier II final to world No. 1 [[Martina Hingis]] earlier that month.<ref name="porsche-2000">{{cite web |title=Hingis claims Porsche Grand Prix for fourth time |url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/tennis/hingis-claims-porsche-grand-prix-for-fourth-time-1.233275 |publisher=CBC |access-date=30 September 2018 | date = 8 October 2000 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180930191224/https://www.cbc.ca/sports/tennis/hingis-claims-porsche-grand-prix-for-fourth-time-1.233275 | archive-date = 30 September 2018 | url-status=live}}</ref> In the middle of the year, Clijsters also finished runner-up at the [[2000 Wimbledon Championships|Wimbledon]] mixed doubles event alongside her boyfriend [[Lleyton Hewitt]].{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=25}}

[[File:Heather Watson (22389715242).jpg|thumb|upright=1.07|left|The [[Kockelscheuer Sport Centre]] ([[Heather Watson]] pictured), where Clijsters won five Luxembourg Open titles, including three consecutive from 2001 to 2003 |alt=The crowd watches Heather Watson play a point at the Kockelscheuer Sport Centre during the 2015 Luxembourg Open.]]
At the [[2001 Indian Wells Masters|Indian Wells Open]] in early 2001, Clijsters finally defeated Hingis in her fourth meeting against the world No. 1 player to reach her first [[Tier I]] final.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Godaret |first1=J |title=Tennis: Kim Clijsters force l'exploit face à Martina Hingis |url=http://www.dhnet.be/sports/tennis/tennis-kim-clijsters-force-l-exploit-face-a-martina-hingis-51b7d85ae4b0de6db9916f88 |website=DH |access-date=30 September 2018 | language=fr| archive-date = 5 March 2016 | date = 15 March 2001 | url-status=live| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160305083627/http://www.dhnet.be/sports/tennis/tennis-kim-clijsters-force-l-exploit-face-a-martina-hingis-51b7d85ae4b0de6db9916f88}}</ref> After winning the first set of the final, she ended up losing in three sets to Serena Williams. The match was overshadowed by the controversy of the crowd booing Williams for her sister [[Venus Williams|Venus]]'s late withdrawal from their semifinal, leading to both sisters [[Boycott of BNP Paribas Open by Venus and Serena Williams|boycotting the tournament for 14 years]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Roberts |first1=Selena |title=Tennis; Serena Williams Wins As the Boos Pour Down |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/03/18/sports/tennis-serena-williams-wins-as-the-boos-pour-down.html |website=The New York Times|access-date=30 September 2018| archive-date = 30 June 2018 | date = 18 March 2001 | url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180630162134/https://www.nytimes.com/2001/03/18/sports/tennis-serena-williams-wins-as-the-boos-pour-down.html}}</ref><ref name=boycott>{{cite web |last1=Drucker |first1=Joel |date = 11 March 2009 | url-status=live |title=What happened at Indian Wells? |url=http://www.espn.com/sports/tennis/columns/story?columnist=drucker_joel&id=3952939 |publisher=ESPN |access-date=30 September 2018| archive-date =  22 February 2018 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180222185009/http://www.espn.com/sports/tennis/columns/story?columnist=drucker_joel&id=3952939}}</ref> A few months later at the [[2001 French Open|French Open]], Clijsters became the first Belgian to contest a Grand Slam singles final. She had defeated No. 16 Henin in the semifinals in their closest and highest profile match to date, coming back from a set and a break down, and also having saved three break points that would have put her behind 5–2 in the second set.<ref name="french-open-sf-2001">{{cite web | title= French Open: Clijsters and Capriati reach French Open final |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/frenchopen/3006912/French-Open-Clijsters-and-Capriati-reach-French-Open-final.html | date = 7 June 2001 | url-status=live | website=The Telegraph |access-date=30 September 2018| archive-date = 28 February 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160228073436/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/frenchopen/3006912/French-Open-Clijsters-and-Capriati-reach-French-Open-final.html}}</ref> The final against [[2001 Australian Open|Australian Open]] champion and world No. 4 [[Jennifer Capriati]] was an even tighter match. Playing a day after her 18th birthday, Clijsters won the first set but lost the second. After a French Open final record 22 games and 2 hours 21 minutes in total, she was defeated by Capriati 12–10 in the deciding set.{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=26}}<ref name="french-open-final-2001"/> The match was ranked as the greatest French Open women's final in [[Open Era]] history by ''[[Tennis (magazine)|Tennis.com]]''.<ref name="french-open-final-2001">{{cite web |last1=Sias |first1=Van |title=The 10 greatest French Open finals in Open era history |url=http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2017/06/10-greatest-french-open-finals-open-era/65959/ | date = 9 June 2017 | website=Tennis.com |access-date=30 September 2018 |archive-date=11 March 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180311081515/http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2017/06/10-greatest-french-open-finals-open-era/65959/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Clijsters would go on to make it to at least the quarterfinals at each of the next three majors.<ref name=itf-profile/> She also played in her first Grand Slam doubles final at [[2001 Wimbledon Championships|Wimbledon]] later that year, with [[Ai Sugiyama]] as her partner.<ref>{{cite web |title=Raymond and Stubbs claim doubles crown |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/in_depth/2001/wimbledon_2001/1429219.stm |publisher=BBC | date = 8 July 2001 | url-status=live | access-date=1 October 2018| archive-date = 30 October 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131030121102/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/in_depth/2001/wimbledon_2001/1429219.stm}}</ref> She won three singles titles in 2001, including her second titles at both the [[2001 SEAT Open|Luxembourg Open]] and the [[2001 Sparkassen Cup|Sparkassen Cup]], to help her finish the season at No. 5 in the world. With four doubles finals in total, she was also ranked No. 15 in doubles at the end of the year.<ref name=itf-profile/><ref name=wta-rankings/>

Clijsters maintained her top ten ranking throughout 2002<ref name=wta-rankings/> despite struggling with an ongoing shoulder injury in the first half of the year.{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=39}} Her best result at a Grand Slam event came at the [[2002 Australian Open|Australian Open]], where she lost another three-set match to Capriati in the semifinals in their first meeting since the French Open final.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Dillman |first1=Lisa |title=Capriati Takes the Gloves Off in Victory |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-jan-25-sp-aussiewomen25-story.html |website=Los Angeles Times|access-date=9 January 2019 |archive-date=9 January 2019 | date= 25 January 2002 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190109054801/http://articles.latimes.com/2002/jan/25/sports/sp-aussiewomen25 |url-status=live}}</ref> Nonetheless, she continued to rise in the rankings to No. 3 by March, her best ranking for the season.<ref name=wta-rankings/> Although Clijsters did not reach another Grand Slam quarterfinal the rest of the year, she won three more titles leading up to the year-end [[2002 WTA Tour Championships|WTA Tour Championships]] in [[Los Angeles]].<ref name=itf-profile/> She received her third invite to the event, which only the top 16 players in the world are guaranteed entry. Clijsters made it to the final with ease after dropping only six games in the first three rounds, including a victory over Henin in the quarterfinals<ref>{{cite web |last1=Dillman |first1=Lisa |title=A Sorry Exhibition by Henin in Defeat |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-nov-09-sp-tenside9-story.html |website=Los Angeles Times| date = 9 November 2002 | url-status=live | access-date=30 September 2018 | archive-date = 20 October 2015| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151020041453/http://articles.latimes.com/2002/nov/09/sports/sp-tenside9}}</ref> and a retirement due to injury from Venus Williams in the semifinals. Her opponent in the final was Serena Williams, who entered the match with a 56–4 record on the season and having won the last three majors of the year. Although Serena had won their first five encounters and was considered a clear favourite, Clijsters upset Serena in straight sets to win the championship.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Dillman |first1=Lisa | date = 12 November 2002 | url-status=live | title=Relatively Big Victory for Clijsters |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-nov-12-sp-tennis12-story.html |website=Los Angeles Times|access-date=30 September 2018 |archive-date = 6 March 2016| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160306151747/http://articles.latimes.com/2002/nov/12/sports/sp-tennis12}}</ref> After the tournament, she said, "This is the best victory of my career."{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=39}}

===2003: World No. 1 in singles and doubles===
The 2003 season was Clijsters's "''[[annus mirabilis]]''".{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=45}} She competed in 21 singles events, reaching the semifinals in all but one of them, advancing to 15 finals, and winning nine titles. With a record of 90–12, she was the first player to accrue 90 wins since [[Martina Navratilova]] in 1982 and the first to play more than 100 matches since [[Chris Evert]] in 1974.<ref name="2003-summary">{{cite web |title=Kim Clijsters takes match in tennis Classic |url=https://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/2006/07/27/kim-clijsters-takes-match-in-tennis-classic |website=Palo Alto Online |access-date=12 January 2019 | date = 27 July 2006 | first1 = Rick | last1 = Eymer |archive-date=12 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190112063455/https://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/2006/07/27/kim-clijsters-takes-match-in-tennis-classic |url-status=live}}</ref> Clijsters also played an extensive doubles schedule, compiling a total of 170 matches between both disciplines.{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=45}} She partnered with Sugiyama the entire year, winning seven titles in thirteen events.<ref name=itf-profile/> This season also marked the peak of the [[Clijsters-Henin rivalry|rivalry between Clijsters and Henin]], as the pair faced each other eight matches, the last six of which were in finals.<ref name="henin-h2h"/> In doubles, five of her ten finals were against the team of [[Virginia Ruano Pascual]] and [[Paola Suárez]].<ref name=itf-profile/> With her success, Clijsters became the first Belgian world No. 1 in [[List of WTA number 1 ranked singles tennis players|singles]] or [[List of WTA number 1 ranked doubles tennis players|doubles]], achieving both feats in August.<ref name=wta-rankings/>

====Singles: Two Grand Slam finals, Tour Championship defense====
Clijsters began her singles season by winning the [[2003 Adidas International|Sydney International]] over [[Lindsay Davenport]], her third consecutive title.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Preston |first1=Eleanor |date = 12 January 2003|title=Clijsters has measure of the champions |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2003/jan/13/tennis.australianopen2003 |website=The Guardian |access-date=12 January 2019 |archive-date=10 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140910132934/https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2003/jan/13/tennis.australianopen2003 |url-status=live}}</ref> She extended her tour win streak to 17 matches—all without dropping a set<ref name=itf-profile/>—before she was defeated by Serena Williams in an [[2003 Australian Open|Australian Open]] semifinal where she had a 5–1 lead in the third set as well as two match points on serve. She said afterwards, "The only thing I regret a little bit, is those two double faults [to start the game at 5–4]. I could feel that she was really trying to step it up, and that she was hitting the balls a lot more aggressive and had almost no unforced errors at the end."<ref name=serena-comeback-loss>{{cite web |title=Comeback Keeps Final in Family | last1 = Clarey | first1 = Christopher |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/01/24/sports/tennis-comeback-keeps-final-in-family.html |website=The New York Times|access-date=9 January 2019 | date = 24 January 2003|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170630164710/https://www.nytimes.com/2003/01/24/sports/tennis-comeback-keeps-final-in-family.html |archive-date=30 June 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Serena shatters Clijsters | date = 23 January 2003 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2003/jan/23/tennis.australianopen2003 |website=The Guardian |access-date=9 January 2019 |archive-date=30 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180730233322/https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2003/jan/23/tennis.australianopen2003 |url-status=live}}</ref> Williams won the title to complete her "Serena Slam".<ref>{{cite web |title=Memorable Moments: 2003 Serena Slam |url=https://ausopen.com/history/memorable-moments/2003-serena-slam |publisher=Australian Open |access-date=9 January 2019 |archive-date=9 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190109062510/https://ausopen.com/history/memorable-moments/2003-serena-slam |url-status=live}}</ref> After losing in the final at her next two tournaments, Clijsters recovered at the [[2003 Pacific Life Open|Indian Wells Open]] to win her first Tier I title. Like in Sydney, she defeated Davenport in the final.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Peters |first1=Ken | date = 18 March 2003 |title=Double celebration as Hewitt and Clijsters triumph |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/tennis/double-celebration-as-hewitt-and-clijsters-triumph-123227.html |website=The Independent|access-date=9 January 2019 |archive-date=9 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190109064122/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/tennis/double-celebration-as-hewitt-and-clijsters-triumph-123227.html |url-status=live}}</ref> She won another Tier I title on clay in May at the [[2003 Italian Open (tennis)|Italian Open]] over No. 4 Amélie Mauresmo, who had a chance to serve for the match in the second set.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Preston |first1=Eleanor |title=Mauresmo wobble lets Clijsters pounce |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2003/may/19/tennis1 |website=The Guardian |access-date=9 January 2019 |date = 9 May 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140911042325/https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2003/may/19/tennis1 |archive-date=11 September 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

At the [[2003 French Open|French Open]], both Clijsters and Henin reached the final to guarantee that the winner would become the first Belgian Grand Slam singles champion.{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=45}} Henin had won their only meeting in a final in 2003 thus far at the [[2003 MasterCard German Open|German Open]], which was also their only other encounter on clay.<ref name=henin-h2h/> While both players had match points in Germany,<ref>{{cite web |title=La reine de la Belgique, c'est Henin-Hardenne! |url=https://www.rds.ca/tennis/la-reine-de-la-belgique-c-est-henin-hardenne-1.195436 |website=RDS |access-date=12 January 2019 |date=11 May 2003 |trans-title=The queen of Belgium is Henin-Hardenne! |language=fr |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190112054705/https://www.rds.ca/tennis/la-reine-de-la-belgique-c-est-henin-hardenne-1.195436 |archive-date=12 January 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> Henin won in Paris in a lopsided affair where she only lost four games.<ref>{{cite web|title=Henin, reine belge incontestée|date = 7 June 2003 | url=https://www.eurosport.fr/tennis/roland-garros/2003/henin-reine-incontestee_sto442383/story.shtml|publisher=Eurosport|access-date=12 January 2019|trans-title=Henin, undisputed Belgian queen|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190112060003/https://www.eurosport.fr/tennis/roland-garros/2003/henin-reine-incontestee_sto442383/story.shtml|archive-date=12 January 2019|language=fr|url-status=live}}</ref> After losing in the semifinals at [[2003 Wimbledon Championships|Wimbledon]] to Venus Williams,<ref>{{cite web |title=Venus ends Clijsters challenge |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/wimbledon_2003/3043026.stm |publisher=BBC |access-date=12 January 2019 |date =3 July 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040216014308/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/wimbledon_2003/3043026.stm |archive-date=16 February 2004 |url-status=live}}</ref> Clijsters rebounded to win two Tier II titles at the [[2003 Bank of the West Classic|Stanford Classic]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Clijsters battles past Capriati to take California title | date = 28 July 2003 |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2003-07-28/clijsters-battles-past-capriati-to-take-california/1455850 |publisher=ABC |access-date=12 January 2019 |archive-date=27 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161027043833/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2003-07-28/clijsters-battles-past-capriati-to-take-california/1455850 |url-status=live}}</ref> and the [[2003 JPMorgan Chase Open|Los Angeles Open]]. With the second of those titles, she attained the world No. 1 ranking, in part because the top-ranked Serena Williams had not played on tour since Wimbledon due to a knee injury.{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=45}} She was the first woman to become No. 1 without winning a Grand Slam singles title.<ref name=2003-summary/><ref name="biography-dot-com">{{cite web |title=Kim Clijsters |url=https://www.biography.com/people/kim-clijsters-485762 |website=Biography |access-date=12 January 2019 |archive-date=21 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180621015758/https://www.biography.com/people/kim-clijsters-485762 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Clijsters regained the top ranking in doubles the following week to become only the fifth player in WTA history to be No. 1 in singles and doubles simultaneously.<ref name=2003-summary/><ref name=six-players>{{cite web |title=Hall of Famer Martina Hingis reaches World Number 1 in Doubles |url=https://www.tennisfame.com/blog/2016/1/hall-of-famer-martina-hingis-reaches-world-number-1-in-doubles/ |publisher=International Tennis Hall of Fame |access-date=12 January 2019 | date = 21 January 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160319204009/https://www.tennisfame.com/blog/2016/1/hall-of-famer-martina-hingis-reaches-world-number-1-in-doubles |archive-date=19 March 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> Despite playing the [[2003 US Open (tennis)|US Open]] as the top seed, Clijsters again lost to Henin in the final in straight sets. Clijsters had been regarded as the favourite entering the match because of her performance in the earlier rounds and Henin's lengthy semifinal match the previous day.{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=45}}<ref>{{cite web|title=Le miracle Henin| date = 7 September 2003| url=https://www.eurosport.fr/tennis/us-open/2003/le-miracle-henin_sto479970/story.shtml|publisher=Eurosport|access-date=12 January 2019|language=fr|archive-date=12 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190112060014/https://www.eurosport.fr/tennis/us-open/2003/le-miracle-henin_sto479970/story.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref> The title helped Henin rise to No. 2 in the world.<ref name="henin-ranking">{{cite web |title=Justine Henin Rankings History |work=WTA Tennis |date=7 April 2017 |url=https://www.wtatennis.com/players/player/80350/title/justine-henin#ranking |access-date=12 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190112195005/https://www.wtatennis.com/players/player/80350/title/justine-henin#ranking |archive-date=12 January 2019 |url-status=live |author1=Admin }}</ref>

The last stage of the season featured Clijsters battling Henin for the top ranking. Clijsters defeated Henin in the final of the [[2003 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix|Tennis Grand Prix]] in [[Filderstadt]] to defend her title and her world No. 1 ranking. This was the eighth time in WTA history where the top two players in the world faced off for the top ranking.<ref>{{cite web |title=Clijsters keeps No. 1 ranking with win  | date = 13 October 2003 |url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-2003-10-13-0310130102-story.html |website=Orlando Sentinel |access-date=10 January 2019 |archive-date=10 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190110072342/https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-2003-10-13-0310130102-story.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Although Clijsters lost the top ranking to Henin the following week,<ref>{{cite web |title=On This Day: Henin Becomes No.1 |url=https://www.wtatennis.com/news/day-henin-becomes-no1 |publisher=WTA Tennis |access-date=12 January 2019 | date = 20 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170922050939/https://www.wtatennis.com/news/day-henin-becomes-no1 |archive-date=22 September 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> she regained it a week later by winning the [[2003 SEAT Open|Luxembourg Open]] for the third year in a row.<ref name=wta-rankings/><ref>{{cite web |title=Clijsters wins again at Luxembourg |url=https://www.upi.com/Sports_News/2003/10/26/Clijsters-wins-again-at-Luxembourg/UPI-93001067199639/ |website=UPI |access-date=12 January 2019 |archive-date=5 February 2018 | date = 26 October 2003|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180205185030/https://www.upi.com/Sports_News/2003/10/26/Clijsters-wins-again-at-Luxembourg/93001067199639/ |url-status=live}}</ref> She finished her season by defending her title at the [[2003 WTA Tour Championships|WTA Tour Championships]] in the first year where the tournament switched to a round robin format in the initial stage. Clijsters swept her group of Mauresmo, [[Elena Dementieva]], and [[Chanda Rubin]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Henin-Hardenne claims top spot | date = 8 November 2003|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/3252495.stm |publisher=BBC |access-date=12 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140821154153/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/3252495.stm |archive-date=21 August 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref> She won her semifinal against Capriati before defeating Mauresmo again for the title. With the million dollar prize, Clijsters finished the season as the tour prize money leader and became the first player to earn four million dollars in a season on the WTA Tour.<ref>{{cite web |title=2003 WTA Tour Prize Money Leaders |url=http://www.wtatennis.com/SEWTATour-Archive/Rankings_Stats/Prize_Money_2003.pdf |publisher=WTA Tennis |access-date=11 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120414212608/http://www.wtatennis.com/SEWTATour-Archive/Rankings_Stats/Prize_Money_2003.pdf |archive-date=14 April 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref> Nonetheless, Henin took the year-end No. 1 ranking by improving on her performance at the event from the previous season.<ref>{{cite web |title=Clijsters crushes Mauresmo |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/3259381.stm |publisher=BBC |access-date=11 January 2019 | date = 11 November 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140820002739/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/3259381.stm |archive-date=20 August 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

====Doubles: French Open and Wimbledon titles====
[[File:Sugiyama Ai.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Ai Sugiyama]], Clijsters's doubles partner in 2003|alt=Ai Sugiyama about to serve]]
In the early part of the season, Clijsters and Sugiyama won three titles on hard courts.<ref name=itf-profile/> However, they did not win any big titles through May, losing in the Australian Open quarterfinals to the [[Williams sisters]] and finishing runners-up at their first two Tier I finals.<ref name=itf-profile/><ref>{{cite web |title=Und sie gewinnt doch |url=https://www.tagesspiegel.de/sport/und-sie-gewinnt-doch/414010.html |website=Der Tagesspiegel |access-date=12 January 2019|date = 12 May 2003| language=de|trans-title=And she wins|archive-date=12 January 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190112081550/https://www.tagesspiegel.de/sport/und-sie-gewinnt-doch/414010.html}}</ref> They entered the French Open and Wimbledon and made it to the finals at both events. Clijsters and Sugiyama defeated the top seeds Ruano Pascual and Suarez in both finals for Clijsters's first two Grand Slam tournament titles. The French Open final was a tighter match, ending 9–7 in the third set.{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=45}}<ref name="knows-japanese">{{cite web |title=Clijsters and Sugiyama speak language of victory in doubles |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2003-07-07/clijsters-and-sugiyama-speak-language-of-victory/1882006 |publisher=ABC |access-date=12 January 2019| date = 7 July 2003 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161027031409/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2003-07-07/clijsters-and-sugiyama-speak-language-of-victory/1882006|archive-date=27 October 2016}}</ref> Despite these titles, the duo remained behind Ruano Pascual and Suarez in the rankings until August when Clijsters became world No. 1. She held the top ranking for four non-consecutive weeks.<ref name=wta-rankings/><ref name="doubles-no-1-history">{{cite web |title=2012 Media Guide |url=http://www.wtatennis.com/SEWTATour-Archive/Archive/MediaInfo/mediaguide2012.pdf |publisher=WTA Tennis |access-date=11 January 2019 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121015020844/http://www.wtatennis.com/SEWTATour-Archive/Archive/MediaInfo/mediaguide2012.pdf| archive-date=15 October 2012}}</ref> The pair were the top seeds at the US Open, but withdrew in the second round due to rain delaying Sugiyama's fourth round singles match for three days.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Clarey |first1=Christopher |title=At U.S. Open, Players Wait Till Rains Go |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/05/sports/tennis-at-us-open-players-wait-till-rains-go.html |website=The New York Times|access-date=11 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171226213910/http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/05/sports/tennis-at-us-open-players-wait-till-rains-go.html |archive-date=26 December 2017 | date = 5 September 2003 |url-status=live}}</ref> They ended the season by finishing runners-up to Ruano Pascual and Suarez at the WTA Tour Championships.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kim Clijsters defends title – WTA Tour Championship – Ruthless Belgian makes short work of Mauresmo |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/sports/kim-clijsters-defends-title-wta-tour-championship-ruthless-belgian-makes-short-work-of-mauresmo/cid/1033924 |website=The Telegraph India |access-date=12 January 2019|archive-date=12 January 2019 | url-status=live | date = 12 November 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190112075759/https://www.telegraphindia.com/sport/kim-clijsters-defends-title-wta-tour-championship-ruthless-belgian-makes-short-work-of-mauresmo/cid/1033924 | agency = Agence France-Presse}}</ref> Despite Clijsters's success in 2003, she seldom played doubles during the rest of her career.<ref name="doubles-finale">{{cite web |last1=Waldstein |first1=David |title=A Return to Doubles in Capping a Career |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/31/sports/tennis/us-open-kim-clijsters-loses-in-doubles.html |website=The New York Times|access-date=11 January 2019 |archive-date=18 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180618210821/https://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/31/sports/tennis/us-open-kim-clijsters-loses-in-doubles.html |url-status=live| date = 31 August 2012 }}</ref>

===2004–05: Extended injury absence, first Grand Slam singles title===
Although Clijsters maintained her form into 2004, her season was ultimately marred by injuries. It was feared that she would need surgery and miss the [[2004 Australian Open|Australian Open]] after she injured her left ankle in the [[2004 Hopman Cup|Hopman Cup]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Clijsters doubt for Open | date =7 January 2004 |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/3374705.stm |publisher=BBC |access-date=12 January 2019 |archive-date=8 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140908155249/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/3374705.stm |url-status=live}}</ref> Nonetheless, she competed at the event and reached the championship match without dropping a set, despite aggravating her ankle injury in the quarterfinals.<ref>{{cite web |title=Injured Clijsters battles through| date =28 January 2004 |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/australian_open_2004/3436157.stm |publisher=BBC |access-date=12 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040218105031/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/australian_open_2004/3436157.stm |archive-date=18 February 2004 |url-status=live}}</ref> Her opponent in the final was Henin and unlike their previous two Grand Slam finals, Clijsters was able to win a set. With Henin up a break at 4–3 in the third set, the [[Official (tennis)#Chair umpire|chair umpire]] incorrectly overruled a line call on break point that would have leveled the match. Henin ended up winning the game and the match. Clijsters said afterwards, "I'm just as disappointed as after the last two grand slam [finals], but I played a lot better this time".{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=58}} In February, she won her next two tournaments, including the [[2004 Proximus Diamond Games|Diamond Games]] in Antwerp for her first WTA title in her home country.{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=65}} After Clijsters withdrew from the [[2004 Pacific Life Open|Indian Wells Open]] following one match with a torn left wrist tendon, she only played in two more WTA events the remainder of the season. She returned to the WTA Tour six weeks later with a wrist brace, but again withdrew after one match. In June, she found out she would need surgery to remove a cyst in her wrist.{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=68}}<ref>{{cite news |title=Clijsters out of US Open |date=13 June 2004 |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/3802841.stm |publisher=BBC |access-date=12 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181124162915/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/3802841.stm |archive-date=24 November 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> As a result, she remained out until the [[Gaz de France Stars|Hasselt Cup]] in Belgium where she needed to retire in her third match.{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=68}}<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Injured Clijsters likely to miss rest of season |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/tennis/10/02/bc.sport.tennis.clijsters/ |magazine=Sports Illustrated |access-date=12 January 2019 | date = 2 October 2004|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103160416/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/tennis/10/02/bc.sport.tennis.clijsters/ |archive-date=3 November 2012}}</ref>

There were few expectations on Clijsters entering 2005, as it still was not certain whether she would be able to play.{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=73}} After missing the Australian Open, she returned to the tour in February. In her second and third tournaments back, Clijsters won both Tier I events in March, the [[2005 Pacific Life Open|Indian Wells Open]] and the [[2005 Miami Masters|Miami Open]], to become the second woman to complete the Sunshine Double after Steffi Graf in 1994 and 1996.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hodgkinson: The Golden-Sunshine Double |work=WTA Tennis |date=17 March 2014 |url=https://www.wtatennis.com/news/hodgkinson-golden-sunshine-double |access-date=13 January 2019 |archive-date=13 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190113002823/https://www.wtatennis.com/news/hodgkinson-golden-sunshine-double |url-status=live |author1=Admin }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Stats Corner: Indian Wells-Miami Double |work=WTA Tennis |date=21 March 2016 |url=https://www.wtatennis.com/news/stats-corner-indian-wells-miami-double |access-date=13 January 2019 |archive-date=13 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190113002857/https://www.wtatennis.com/news/stats-corner-indian-wells-miami-double |url-status=live |author1=Admin }}</ref> She defeated world No. 1 Lindsay Davenport in the final of Indian Wells, as well as No. 2 Amélie Mauresmo and No. 3 [[Maria Sharapova]] in her last two matches in Miami.<ref name="wta-match-history">{{cite web |title=Kim Clijsters Matches |work=WTA Tennis |date=8 April 2017 |url=https://www.wtatennis.com/players/player/30458/title/kim-clijsters#matches |access-date=13 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190113233832/https://www.wtatennis.com/players/player/30458/title/kim-clijsters#matches |archive-date=13 January 2019 |url-status=live |author1=Admin }}</ref> These titles lifted her ranking from outside the top 100 back into the top 20.<ref name=wta-rankings/>{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=73}} Clijsters was unable to continue her success into the clay or grass court seasons, winning just one title and losing in the fourth round in three sets to Davenport at both the [[2005 French Open|French Open]] and [[2005 Wimbledon Championships|Wimbledon]].<ref name=itf-profile/>{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=84}}

{{quote box|width=25%|border=1px|align=left|quote="It's very hard to believe and an amazing feeling to have. After being out for so much of last year it's a little bit more special."|source=— Clijsters on winning the 2005 US Open, her first Grand Slam singles title.<ref name="us-open-quote-2005">{{cite web |title=Clijsters sweeps to US Open title |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/4231934.stm |publisher=BBC |access-date=13 January 2019 | date =  11 September 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140218231630/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/4231934.stm |archive-date=18 February 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>|}}
After Wimbledon in late June,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Perrotta |first1=Tom |title=Roddick Shows Dominant Form in Win Over Coria |url=https://www.nysun.com/sports/roddick-shows-dominant-form-in-win-over-coria/16218/ |website=The New York Sun |access-date=13 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110613084531/https://www.nysun.com/sports/roddick-shows-dominant-form-in-win-over-coria/16218/ |archive-date=13 June 2011 | date = 28 June 2005 |url-status=live}}</ref> Clijsters only lost one more match through early October.<ref name=itf-profile/> During this stretch, she won five titles including her third [[2005 Bank of the West Classic|Stanford Classic]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Clijsters returns to form | date = 3 August 2005 |url=https://www.paloaltoonline.com/weekly/morguepdf/2005/2005_08_03.paw.section1.pdf |website=Palo Alto Online |access-date=13 January 2019 | page = 17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061213021957/http://www.paloaltoonline.com/weekly/morguepdf/2005/2005_08_03.paw.section1.pdf |archive-date=13 December 2006 |url-status=live}}</ref> and her fifth [[2005 Fortis Championships Luxembourg|Luxembourg Open]].<ref name=davenport-praise-2005/> She also built up a 22-match win streak<ref name=davenport-praise-2005>{{cite web |title=Davenport hails phenomenal Clijsters | date = 3 October 2005|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2005-10-04/davenport-hails-phenomenal-clijsters/2117142 |publisher=ABC |access-date=13 January 2019 | agency = Agence France-Presse |archive-date=28 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161028025441/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2005-10-04/davenport-hails-phenomenal-clijsters/2117142 |url-status=live}}</ref> and defeated Henin in the final of the Tier I [[2005 Rogers Cup|Canadian Open]] in their only meeting of the year.<ref name=henin-h2h/><ref>{{cite web |last1=Robbins |first1=Liz |title=After Break and Breakup, Clijsters Makes a Fresh Start |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/29/sports/tennis/after-break-and-breakup-clijsters-makes-a-fresh-start.html |website=The New York Times|access-date=13 January 2019 |date=29 August 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150529194535/http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/29/sports/tennis/after-break-and-breakup-clijsters-makes-a-fresh-start.html |archive-date=29 May 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref> Clijsters's most important title of the season was the [[2005 US Open (tennis)|US Open]], her first Grand Slam singles title. As the fourth seed, she was not tested until the quarterfinals, when Venus Williams was two games away from defeating her at a set and a break up. Clijsters rebounded to win the match in three sets and then defeated the top seed and world No. 2 Sharapova in the semifinals, also in three sets. Despite her previous struggles in Grand Slam singles finals, she won the championship against No. 13 [[Mary Pierce]] with ease, only conceding four games.{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=84}} As the winner of the [[US Open Series]], Clijsters received double the standard amount of prize money. Her $2.2 million prize was the largest in women's sports history at the time.<ref>{{cite web |title=Andy Roddick and Kim Clijsters Win 2005 US Open Series Titles; Both To Compete For Record $2.2 million in Prize Money at US Open – Highest Winner's Share in Men's and Women's Sports History |url=https://www.usopenseries.com/News/2005_08/228705_Andy_Roddick_and_Kim_Clijsters_Win_2005_US_Open_Series_Titles_Both_To_Compete_For_Record_22_Million_In_Prize_Money_at_US_Open__Highest_Winners_Share_In_Mens_and_Womens_Sports_History/ |publisher=US Open Series |access-date=13 January 2019 | date = 21 August 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181124162528/https://www.usopenseries.com/News/2005_08/228705_Andy_Roddick_and_Kim_Clijsters_Win_2005_US_Open_Series_Titles_Both_To_Compete_For_Record_22_Million_In_Prize_Money_at_US_Open__Highest_Winners_Share_In_Mens_and_Womens_Sports_History/ |archive-date=24 November 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> Clijsters's last tournament of the year was the [[2005 WTA Tour Championships|WTA Tour Championships]]. Although she had a chance to return to No. 1 if she outperformed the top-ranked Davenport, she only won one match and did not advance out of her round robin group.<ref name=2005-tour-championships/> She finished the year ranked No. 2, having won a tour-best nine titles and all of her finals.<ref name=itf-profile/><ref name=wta-rankings/><ref name=2005-tour-championships>{{cite news |last1=Harris |first1=Beth |date = 10 November 2005|title=Clijsters Loses Again at WTA Championships |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/09/AR2005110900232.html |newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=13 January 2019 |archive-date=13 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190113015351/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/09/AR2005110900232.html?noredirect=on |url-status=live}}</ref> She was named both the [[WTA Player of the Year]] and the [[WTA Comeback Player of the Year]].{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=189}} Despite this success, Clijsters announced in August that she was planning to retire in 2007 because of her injury troubles.<ref name="first-retirement-plans">{{cite web |title=Troubled Clijsters to quit in '07 |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/4187062.stm |publisher=BBC |access-date=13 January 2019 | date = 26 August 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120407074956/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/4187062.stm |archive-date=7 April 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===2006–07: Return to No. 1, hastened retirement===
[[File:Kim Clijsters 2006.jpg|thumb|Clijsters in 2006|alt=Clijsters hitting a backhand]]
The 2006 season saw a variety of injury issues for Clijsters. She only played in 14 tournaments, missing the [[2006 US Open (tennis)|US Open]] as well as the [[2006 Fed Cup|Fed Cup]] final. While she reached the semifinals at the other three Grand Slam singles events, she was unable to advance to another final.<ref name=itf-profile/> Clijsters withdrew from her first tournament of the year, the [[2006 Medibank International|Sydney International]] with hip and back problems.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ahmed |first1=Nabila |title=Clijsters looks fit to me, says Schiavone |url=https://www.smh.com.au/sport/tennis/clijsters-looks-fit-to-me-says-schiavone-20060124-gdmu28.html |website=The Sydney Morning Herald|access-date=13 January 2019 |archive-date=13 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190113231452/https://www.smh.com.au/sport/tennis/clijsters-looks-fit-to-me-says-schiavone-20060124-gdmu28.html |date=24 January 2006 |url-status=live}}</ref> Although she recovered from those issues in time to reach the semifinals at the [[2006 Australian Open|Australian Open]], she needed to retire from that match as well after twisting her ankle while down a break in the third set against Amélie Mauresmo.<ref>{{cite web |title=Clijsters departs Open on crutches |url=https://www.smh.com.au/sport/clijsters-departs-open-on-crutches-20060127-gdmurp.html |website=The Sydney Morning Herald|access-date=13 January 2019 |date=27 January 2006 |archive-date=13 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190113231542/https://www.smh.com.au/sport/clijsters-departs-open-on-crutches-20060127-gdmurp.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Nonetheless, with Davenport losing in the quarterfinals, Clijsters regained the No. 1 ranking.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hewitt out of top 10, Clijsters new No.1 |url=https://www.smh.com.au/sport/tennis/hewitt-out-of-top-10-clijsters-new-no-1-20060131-gdmviw.html |website=The Sydney Morning Herald|access-date=14 January 2019 |date=31 January 2006 |archive-date=14 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190114002239/https://www.smh.com.au/sport/tennis/hewitt-out-of-top-10-clijsters-new-no-1-20060131-gdmviw.html |url-status=live}}</ref> She held the top ranking through mid-March.<ref name=wta-rankings/> Clijsters returned for the [[2006 Proximus Diamond Games|Diamond Games]] where she finished runner-up to Mauresmo,<ref>{{cite web |title=Mauresmo stops Clijsters for 2nd Antwerp title |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2006-02-20-0602200001-story.html |website=Chicago Tribune |access-date=13 January 2019 |archive-date=13 January 2019 | date = 20 February 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190113234051/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2006-02-20-0602200001-story.html |url-status=live}}</ref> but needed to withdraw from the [[2006 Pacific Life Open|Indian Wells Open]] because of the same ankle injury.<ref>{{cite web |title=Clijsters out of Indian Wells | date = 22 February 2006 |url=https://www.eurosport.com/tennis/wta-indian-wells/2006/kim-out-of-indian-wells_sto838739/story.shtml |publisher=Eurosport |access-date=13 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190113232755/https://www.eurosport.com/tennis/wta-indian-wells/2006/kim-out-of-indian-wells_sto838739/story.shtml |archive-date=13 January 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> While she was healthy enough to play a regular schedule during the clay and grass court seasons, Henin continued her recent dominance of their rivalry over this stretch. She defeated Clijsters in the semifinals of three consecutive events, including the [[2006 French Open|French Open]] and [[2006 Wimbledon Championships|Wimbledon]].<ref name=itf-profile/><ref>{{cite web |last1=Clarey |first1=Christopher |title=It's Henin-Hardenne vs. Kuznetsova in French Open Final |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/08/sports/tennis/08cnd-tennis.html |website=The New York Times|access-date=14 January 2019 |date=8 June 2006 |archive-date=9 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170909022031/http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/08/sports/tennis/08cnd-tennis.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Henin pulls out the choke in taking more liberties at Clijsters' expense |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2006/jul/07/wimbledon2006.wimbledon5 |website=The Guardian |access-date=14 January 2019 | date = 7 July 2006 |archive-date=25 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140925002435/http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2006/jul/07/wimbledon2006.wimbledon5 |url-status=live}}</ref>

During the US Open Series, Clijsters won her fourth [[2006 Bank of the West Classic|Stanford Classic]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Clijsters takes Bank of West title | date
 = 30 July 2006 |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2006/SPORT/07/30/tennis.clijsters/ |publisher=CNN |access-date=14 January 2019 |archive-date=14 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190114001244/http://edition.cnn.com/2006/SPORT/07/30/tennis.clijsters/ |url-status=live}}</ref> and finished runner-up to Maria Sharapova at the Tier I [[2006 Acura Classic|San Diego Classic]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Sharapova ends Clijsters run |date=7 August 2006 |url=https://www.eurosport.com/tennis/wta-san-diego/2006/sharapova-shocks-clijsters_sto939947/story.shtml |publisher=Eurosport |access-date=14 January 2019 |archive-date=8 February 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180208064215/https://www.eurosport.com/tennis/wta-san-diego/2006/sharapova-shocks-clijsters_sto939947/story.shtml |url-status=live}}</ref> However, her summer season came to an end when she fell on her left wrist in her opening round match at the [[2006 Rogers Cup|Canadian Open]].<ref name=2006-wrist>{{cite web |title=Wrist injury sidelines Clijsters | date = 17 August 2006|url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/wrist-injury-sidelines-clijsters-1.601027 |publisher=CBC |access-date=13 January 2019 |archive-date=14 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190114000632/https://www.cbc.ca/sports/wrist-injury-sidelines-clijsters-1.601027 |url-status=live}}</ref> This injury kept her out until late October. She made her return at the Hasselt Cup and won her second consecutive title at the event.<ref>{{cite web |title=Clijsters Successfully Defends Title at Gaz de France |url=http://www.china.org.cn/sports/news/2006-11/06/content_1188025.htm |website=China Internet Information Center |access-date=14 January 2019 |archive-date=14 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190114003113/http://www.china.org.cn/sports/news/2006-11/06/content_1188025.htm |date=6 November 2006 |url-status=live}}</ref> Clijsters entered the [[2006 WTA Tour Championships|WTA Tour Championships]] ranked No. 5 in the world,<ref name=wta-rankings/> where all three other players she was grouped with were Russian.<ref>{{cite web |title=WTA Tour Championships Preview |url=https://www.eurosport.com/tennis/wta-tour-championships/2006/tour-championship-preview_sto1001896/story.shtml |publisher=Eurosport |access-date=14 January 2019 | date = 6 November 2006 |archive-date=14 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190114003358/https://www.eurosport.com/tennis/wta-tour-championships/2006/tour-championship-preview_sto1001896/story.shtml |url-status=live}}</ref> Although she lost to her group's top seed, Sharapova, she defeated [[Svetlana Kuznetsova]] and Elena Dementieva to advance. Her season ended in the semifinals, where she lost to world No. 1 Mauresmo.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mauresmo makes it |url=https://www.eurosport.com/tennis/wta-tour-championships/2006/mauresmo-makes-it_sto1006217/story.shtml |publisher=Eurosport |access-date=14 January 2019 |archive-date=14 January 2019 | date = 11 November 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190114002458/https://www.eurosport.com/tennis/wta-tour-championships/2006/mauresmo-makes-it_sto1006217/story.shtml |url-status=live}}</ref>

Clijsters entered 2007 intending to retire at the end of the season,<ref>{{cite web |title=Clijsters may opt out of US Open |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/6466885.stm |publisher=BBC |access-date=14 January 2019 |archive-date=31 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531232350/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/6466885.stm |date=19 March 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref> but only ended up playing in five tournaments due to injuries.{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=106}} She won her only title of the year in her first tournament, the [[2007 Medibank International|Sydney International]]. The [[2007 Australian Open|Australian Open]] was her only Grand Slam event of the season. For the second consecutive season, she lost in the semifinals, this time to top seed Sharapova. Clijsters's last tournament in Belgium was the [[2007 Proximus Diamond Games|Diamond Games]], where she finished runner-up to Mauresmo for the second year in a row.{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=106}} A hip injury limited Clijsters's remaining schedule.<ref>{{cite web |title=Cljisters may miss French Open |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/6347581.stm |publisher=BBC |access-date=14 January 2019 | date = 9 February 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160308204230/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/6347581.stm |archive-date=8 March 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> In her last two tournaments, she lost to [[Li Na]] in the fourth round of the [[2007 Miami Masters|Miami Open]] in March<ref>{{cite web |title=Serena wins despite racist taunts |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2007/SPORT/03/27/tennis.sony.women/ |publisher=CNN |access-date=14 January 2019 |archive-date=14 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190114012342/http://edition.cnn.com/2007/SPORT/03/27/tennis.sony.women/ |date=27 March 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref> and qualifier [[Julia Vakulenko]] in her opening match at the [[2007 J&S Cup|Warsaw Open]] in May.<ref>{{cite web |title=Clijsters in sad clay exit | date = 3 May 2007 |url=https://www.eurosport.com/tennis/wta-warsaw/2007/clijsters-in-sad-clay-exit_sto1169469/story.shtml |publisher=Eurosport |access-date=14 January 2019 |archive-date=14 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190114012132/https://www.eurosport.com/tennis/wta-warsaw/2007/clijsters-in-sad-clay-exit_sto1169469/story.shtml |url-status=live}}</ref> Her last win was against [[Samantha Stosur]] in Miami.<ref name=itf-profile/> A few days after losing in Warsaw, Clijsters announced her retirement at the age of 23, forgoing plans to finish the season.<ref>{{cite news |title=Kim Clijsters Retires From Tennis at 23 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/06/AR2007050600398.html |newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=14 January 2019 |archive-date=29 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180629133601/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/06/AR2007050600398.html | agency = Associated Press |date=6 May 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Two-year hiatus===
A few months after Clijsters retired, she married American basketball player [[Brian Lynch (basketball)|Brian Lynch]]. She gave birth to a daughter in early 2008, less than two months after her father [[Leo Clijsters]] was diagnosed with lung cancer. Her father died in January 2009. Clijsters said, "The birth of Jada was the best moment of my life, but it also taught me a lesson because we knew that my Dad was terminally ill. I realised that new life had been born, but a few months later another life would disappear. It was a very intense period in our lives."{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=109}}

Nearly two months after her father's death, it was announced that Clijsters would play in an [[Exhibition game|exhibition]] in May with [[Tim Henman]] against Steffi Graf and [[Andre Agassi]] to test the new retractable roof on [[Centre Court]] at Wimbledon.<ref>{{cite web |title=Agassi, Graf, Clijsters and Henman set for A Centre Court Celebration |url=http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/news/pressreleases/2009centrecourtcelebration_24_02_09.html |publisher=Wimbledon |access-date=16 January 2019|date=24 February 2009|archive-date= 21 April 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090421161100/http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/news/pressreleases/2009centrecourtcelebration_24_02_09.html}}</ref> In March 2009, Clijsters stated that she was planning to come out of retirement, motivated by returning to the "training schedule from [her] pro days" to prepare for the Wimbledon exhibition. She added that she was taking a different approach to tennis, saying, "I am looking at this as a second career, not as a comeback as I am now in a situation where not everything revolves around tennis 24 hours a day."<ref name=request>{{cite web |title=Clijsters confirms comeback was inspired by Wimbledon gala day |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2009/mar/26/tim-henman-kim-clijsters-wimbledon |website=The Guardian |access-date=16 January 2019| date= 26 March 2009 |archive-date = 7 March 2016 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160307085001/http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2009/mar/26/tim-henman-kim-clijsters-wimbledon}}</ref> Clijsters and Henman won the exhibition doubles, and Clijsters also defeated her idol Graf in singles. She commented, "I wanted to feel good here on court. And I've enjoyed it. This is the pleasure which was lacking at the end of my first career. But now I've got my motivation back."{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=112}}

===2009–10: Start of second career, back-to-back US Open titles===
[[File:US Open Tennis 2010 1st Round 192 (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|Clijsters at the [[2010 US Open (tennis)|2010 US Open]]|alt=Clijsters preparing to hit souvenir tennis balls into the crowd after her first round match win]]
With no ranking, Clijsters needed wild cards to begin her comeback. She requested and received wild cards for the [[2009 Western & Southern Financial Group Women's Open|Cincinnati Open]], the [[2009 Rogers Cup|Canadian Open]], and the [[2009 US Open (tennis)|US Open]].<ref name=request/><ref>{{cite web |title=Kim Clijsters: ready for the mother of all comebacks |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/tennis/kim-clijsters-ready-for-the-mother-of-all-comebacks-1767285.html |website=The Independent|access-date=17 January 2019 | date = 5 August 2009 | archive-date = 9 August 2009 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090809065659/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/tennis/kim-clijsters-ready-for-the-mother-of-all-comebacks-1767285.html | url-status=live}}</ref> In her return to the tour in Cincinnati, Clijsters defeated three top 20 opponents, including No. 6 Svetlana Kuznetsova,<ref>{{cite web |title=Kim Clijsters strides on with Cincinnati win over Svetlana Kuznetsova |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2009/aug/14/kim-clijsters-beat-svetlana-kuznetsova |website=The Guardian |access-date=17 January 2019 | date = 14 August 2009 | url-status=live | archive-date = 6 October 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151006234722/http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2009/aug/14/kim-clijsters-beat-svetlana-kuznetsova}}</ref> before losing to world No. 1 [[Dinara Safina]] in the quarterfinals.<ref name=wta-match-history/>{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=117}} She recorded another top ten victory in Canada over No. 9 [[Victoria Azarenka]].<ref name=wta-match-history/> Clijsters was still unranked entering the US Open, as players needed three tour events to have a ranking at the time.<ref name="return-to-rankings">{{cite web |last1=Clarey |first1=Christopher |title=Clijsters Returns to the Rankings as Well, at No. 19 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/15/sports/tennis/15clijsters.html |website=The New York Times|access-date=17 January 2019 | date = 14 September 2009 | url-status=live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180126225634/https://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/15/sports/tennis/15clijsters.html | archive-date = 26 January 2018}}</ref> Nonetheless, she made it to the final, notably upsetting both Williams sisters, No. 3 Venus in the fourth round and No. 2 Serena in the semifinals. She defeated Venus in a tight third set after they split the first two 6–0.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ubha |first1=Ravi |title=Clijsters overcomes Williams in roller coaster |url=http://2009.usopen.org/en_US/news/match_reports/2009-09-06/200909061252274796937.html |publisher=US Open |access-date=17 January 2019 | date = 6 September 2009 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100327235609/http://2009.usopen.org/en_US/news/match_reports/2009-09-06/200909061252274796937.html | archive-date = 27 March 2010}}</ref> Clijsters then defeated No. 8 [[Caroline Wozniacki]] to win her second US Open championship. She became the first unseeded woman to win the title at the event, and the first mother to win a Grand Slam singles title since [[Evonne Goolagong Cawley]] in 1980.<ref name="nyt-2009-us-open">{{cite web |last1=Robbins |first1=Liz |title=Clijsters Wins U.S. Open Women's Title |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/14/sports/tennis/14women.html |website=The New York Times|access-date=17 January 2019 | date = 13 September 2009 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181218082405/https://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/14/sports/tennis/14women.html | archive-date = 18 December 2018 | url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Crouse |first1=Karen |title=Mothers in Tennis Grow in Influence |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/09/sports/wimbledon-mothers-serena-williams.html |website=The New York Times|access-date=17 January 2019 | date = 9 July 2018 |archive-date = 1 January 2019 | url-status=live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190101154451/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/09/sports/wimbledon-mothers-serena-williams.html}}</ref>{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=118}} With the title, she entered the WTA rankings at No. 19.<ref name="return-to-rankings"/> Her only other tournament of the year was the [[2009 BGL Luxembourg Open|Luxembourg Open]], where she lost her second match.<ref>{{cite web |title=Clijsters ousted in Luxembourg |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2009-10-23/clijsters-ousted-in-luxembourg/1114858 |publisher=ABC |access-date=17 January 2019 | date = 23 October 2009 | url-status=live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161030034216/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2009-10-23/clijsters-ousted-in-luxembourg/1114858 | archive-date = 30 October 2016}}</ref> At the end of the season, she won the WTA Comeback Player of the Year award for the second time.{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=189}}

Clijsters planned a limited schedule for 2010 to keep her focus on her family and ended up playing just eleven tournaments.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kim Clijsters plans 2010 schedule around her family |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/wtatour/6226848/Kim-Clijsters-plans-2010-schedule-around-her-family.html |website=The Telegraph |access-date=19 January 2019 |date=24 September 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090928041128/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/wtatour/6226848/Kim-Clijsters-plans-2010-schedule-around-her-family.html |archive-date=28 September 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref> In her first event of the year, she won the [[2010 Brisbane International|Brisbane International]], narrowly defeating Henin in a third set tiebreak in Henin's first tournament back from her own retirement.{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=127}} She entered the [[2010 Australian Open|Australian Open]] as one of the favourites, but was upset by No. 19 [[Nadia Petrova]] in the third round, only winning one game in that loss.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Cambers |first1=Simon |title=Kim Clijsters at a loss to explain Australian Open collapse to Petrova |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2010/jan/22/kim-clijsters-australian-open-nadia-petrova |website=The Guardian |access-date=19 January 2019 | url-status=live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190119061246/https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2010/jan/22/kim-clijsters-australian-open-nadia-petrova | archive-date = 19 January 2019 | date = 22 January 2010}}</ref> Clijsters did not return to the tour until March. After an early loss at the [[2010 BNP Paribas Open|Indian Wells Open]], she won the [[2010 Miami Masters|Miami Open]] for the second time. The only set she lost was in the semifinals to Henin, who she again defeated in a third set tiebreak.<ref name=wta-match-history/><ref>{{cite web |title=Kim Clijsters overcomes Justine Henin in epic Miami semi-final |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2010/apr/02/kim-clijsters-justine-henin |website=The Guardian |access-date=19 January 2019 | date = 2 April 2010 | archive-date = 14 March 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160314081945/http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2010/apr/02/kim-clijsters-justine-henin | url-status=live}}</ref> She only conceded three games in the final against Venus Williams.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kim Clijsters eases past struggling Venus Williams to claim Miami title |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2010/apr/03/kim-clijsters-venus-williams-miami |website=The Guardian |access-date=19 January 2019 | archive-date = 19 January 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190119065520/https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2010/apr/03/kim-clijsters-venus-williams-miami | date = 3 April 2010 | url-status=live}}</ref> During the clay court season, Clijsters tore a muscle in her left foot, which kept her out of the French Open.<ref>{{cite web |title=Clijsters out up to 6 weeks with torn foot muscle |url=http://msn.foxsports.com/tennis/story/kim-clijsters-out-up-to-6-weeks-with-torn-foot-muscle-042510 |work=Fox Sports |access-date=19 January 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100702162123/http://msn.foxsports.com/tennis/story/kim-clijsters-out-up-to-6-weeks-with-torn-foot-muscle-042510 | archive-date = 2 July 2010 | date = 25 April 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=French Open 2010: Kim Clijsters pulls out of Roland Garros with ankle injury |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/frenchopen/7725553/French-Open-2010-Kim-Clijsters-pulls-out-of-Roland-Garros-with-ankle-injury.html |website=The Telegraph |access-date=19 January 2019 | date = 14 May 2010 | url-status=live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181125030713/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/frenchopen/7725553/French-Open-2010-Kim-Clijsters-pulls-out-of-Roland-Garros-with-ankle-injury.html | archive-date = 25 November 2018}}</ref> Although she returned for [[2010 Wimbledon Championships|Wimbledon]], she was upset in the quarterfinals by [[Vera Zvonareva]] after recording another win over Henin in the previous round.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hodgkinson |first1=Mark |title=Wimbledon 2010: Kim Clijsters turns the tables on Justine Henin in search of title |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk:80/sport/tennis/wimbledon/7859389/Wimbledon-2010-Kim-Clijsters-turns-the-tables-on-Justine-Henin-in-search-of-title.html |website=The Telegraph |access-date=19 January 2019 |archive-date=25 January 2014 |date=28 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140125040647/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/wimbledon/7859389/Wimbledon-2010-Kim-Clijsters-turns-the-tables-on-Justine-Henin-in-search-of-title.html |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Cambers |first1=Simon |title=Vera Zvonareva beats her demons to conquer Kim Clijsters at Wimbledon |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2010/jun/29/wimbledon-vera-zvonareva-kim-clijsters |website=The Guardian |access-date=19 January 2019 | archive-date = 19 January 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190119073034/https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2010/jun/29/wimbledon-vera-zvonareva-kim-clijsters | date = 29 June 2010 | url-status=live}}</ref>

{{quote box|width=25%|border=1px|align=right|quote="That defeat against Zvonareva at Wimbledon was hard to take. It had been perhaps my best and last chance to reach the final. In the semifinal of the US Open, I was absolutely bent on gaining revenge. And I succeeded, too... I'd become the player I'd always wanted to be."|source=— Clijsters on the 2010 US Open final.{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=135}}|}}
In the latter half of the year, Clijsters entered only four tournaments. During the US Open Series, she won the [[2010 Western & Southern Open|Cincinnati Open]], the tournament where she returned from retirement a year earlier.<ref>{{cite web |title=Clijsters Edges Sharapova, Wins Cincy |url=https://www.wtatennis.com/news/20100815/clijsters-edges-sharapova-wins-cincy_2256076_2123674 |publisher=WTA Tennis |access-date=19 January 2019 | date = 15 August 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110403002223/https://www.wtatennis.com/news/20100815/clijsters-edges-sharapova-wins-cincy_2256076_2123674 | archive-date = 3 April 2011}}</ref> At her next event, she was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the [[2010 Rogers Cup|Canadian Open]] by Zvonareva while struggling with a thigh injury.<ref>{{cite web |title=Zvonareva upsets Clijsters in Rogers Cup quarters |url=http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2010/08/zvonareva-upsets-clijsters-in-rogers-cup-quarters/24024/ |website=Tennis.com |access-date=19 January 2019 | archive-date = 19 January 2019 | date = 20 August 2010 | url-status=live | last1 = McGrogan | first1 = Ed | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190119232946/http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2010/08/zvonareva-upsets-clijsters-in-rogers-cup-quarters/24024/}}</ref> Nonetheless, Clijsters recovered to defend her title at the [[2010 US Open (tennis)|US Open]]. In the last three rounds, she defeated three top ten players in No. 6 Samantha Stosur, No. 4 Venus Williams, and No. 8 Vera Zvonareva.<ref name=wta-match-history/> Venus came the closest to ending her title defense, but lost in three sets after serving two double faults in the second set tiebreak which could have won her the match.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hodgkinson |first1=Mark |title=US Open 2010: Kim Clijsters sees off Venus Williams in semi-final |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/usopen/7995890/US-Open-2010-Kim-Clijsters-sees-off-Venus-Williams-in-semi-final.html |website=The Telegraph |access-date=19 January 2019 | date = 11 September 2010 | archive-date = 14 September 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100914030841/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/usopen/7995890/US-Open-2010-Kim-Clijsters-sees-off-Venus-Williams-in-semi-final.html | url-status=live}}</ref> Clijsters won the final over Zvonareva with ease in less than an hour.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/sports/tennis/usopen10/news/story?id=5561961|title=Kim Clijsters repeats in Flushing|publisher=ESPN|accessdate=17 July 2025}}</ref> This was her third consecutive title at the US Open and the fourth consecutive time she made it to the championship match, having skipped the tournament four times since 2003.{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=135}} Clijsters' final event of the season was the [[2010 WTA Tour Championships|WTA Tour Championships]], where she qualified for the seventh time. Despite a loss to Zvonareva in her last round robin match, she advanced to the knockout rounds and defeated No. 5 Stosur and world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki for her third title at the year-end championships.{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=142}} Clijsters finished the season at No. 3 and was named WTA Player of the Year for the second time.<ref name=wta-rankings/><ref>{{cite web |title=Kim Clijsters Captures WTA Player of the Year Award |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/02/sports/tennis/TennisWTAawards.html |website=The New York Times|access-date=19 January 2019 | archive-date = 19 January 2019 | date  = 1 December 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190119225428/https://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/02/sports/tennis/TennisWTAawards.html?_r=3}}</ref>

===2011–12: Australian Open champion, last reign at No. 1===
By the start of 2011, Clijsters knew she was planning to retire in 2012 as she did not want to be on the tour while her daughter was in school.{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=147}} She began the season at the [[2011 Medibank International Sydney|Sydney International]], where she finished runner-up to Li Na in straight sets despite winning the first five games of the match.<ref>{{cite web |title=Li defeats Clijsters to take women's singles |url=http://www.medibankinternational.com.au/2011/01/li-defeats-clijsters-to-take-womens-singles |publisher=Medibank International Sydney |access-date=25 January 2019 | date =14 January 2011 | archive-date = 17 January 2011 |url-status=usurped | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110117024322/http://www.medibankinternational.com.au/2011/01/li-defeats-clijsters-to-take-womens-singles}}</ref> The two also met in the final of their next tournament, the [[2011 Australian Open|Australian Open]]. Although Clijsters again lost the first set, she recovered to win the championship, her fourth Grand Slam singles title and first outside of the US Open.{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=147}}<ref name="aussie-kim-earned">{{cite web |last1=Walton |first1=Darren |title=Never-say-die Clijsters wins Aussie Open |url=https://www.smh.com.au/sport/neversaydie-clijsters-wins-aussie-open-20110129-1a94f.html |website=The Sydney Morning Herald|access-date=25 January 2019 | date = 29 January 2011 | url-status=live | archive-date = 25 January 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190125044847/https://www.smh.com.au/sport/neversaydie-clijsters-wins-aussie-open-20110129-1a94f.html}}</ref> This title would be the last of Clijsters's career.<ref name=itf-profile/> She made one last final at her next WTA event, the [[2011 Open GDF Suez|Paris Open]], where she was defeated by [[Petra Kvitová]]. Nonetheless, this result helped Clijsters regain the world No. 1 ranking before Caroline Wozniacki took it back one week later.{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=158}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Kvitova shocks top-ranked Clijsters in Paris final |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2011/SPORT/tennis/02/13/paris.clijsters.kvitova.wins/index.html |publisher=CNN |access-date=25 January 2019 | date = 13 February 2011 | url-status=dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304052814/http://edition.cnn.com/2011/SPORT/tennis/02/13/paris.clijsters.kvitova.wins/index.html | archive-date = 4 March 2016}}</ref> During the rest of the season, Clijsters was limited by a variety of injuries and only played five more tournaments.<ref name=wta-match-history/> She needed to retire from a fourth round match at the [[2011 BNP Paribas Open|Indian Wells Open]] due to a shoulder injury.{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=163}} Then, as a result of a right ankle injury suffered while dancing at a wedding in April, the [[2011 French Open|French Open]] was the only clay court event she entered. At the second Grand Slam tournament of the year, she was upset in the second round by No. 114 [[Arantxa Rus]] after failing to convert two match points in the second set.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Branch |first1=John |title=Clijsters Exits in Second Round |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/27/sports/tennis/2011-french-open-clijsters-makes-an-early-exit.html |website=The New York Times|access-date=25 January 2019 | date = 26 May 2011 | archive-date = 21 November 2018 | url-status=live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181121104547/https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/27/sports/tennis/2011-french-open-clijsters-makes-an-early-exit.html}}</ref> Aggravating that ankle injury at her next event then forced her to miss Wimbledon.<ref>{{cite web |title=Foot injury forces Kim Clijsters to withdraw from Wimbledon |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2011/jun/15/kim-clijsters-withdraws-wimbledon-injury |website=The Guardian |access-date=25 January 2019 | date = 15 June 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171017150427/https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2011/jun/15/kim-clijsters-withdraws-wimbledon-injury | archive-date = 17 October 2017 | url-status=live}}</ref> Clijsters returned for the [[2011 Rogers Cup|Canadian Open]], where she suffered an abdominal injury that kept her out the remainder of the season.{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=163}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Kim Clijsters pulls out of US Open defence with injury |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2011/aug/19/kim-clijsters-out-us-open-injury |website=The Guardian |access-date=25 January 2019 | date = 19 August 2011 | archive-date = 25 October 2018 | url-status=live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181025224317/https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2011/aug/19/kim-clijsters-out-us-open-injury}}</ref>

[[File:Kim Clijsters & Victoria Duval.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Clijsters after her last WTA singles match win against Victoria Duval|alt=Clijsters and Duval smiling after shaking hands at the net]]
Clijsters was unable to stay healthy in her last year on the WTA Tour. In the first week of the season, she returned to the tour for the [[2012 Brisbane International|Brisbane International]]. After winning her first three matches back, she needed to retire in the semifinals due to hip spasms, a precautionary measure to prepare for the Australian Open.<ref>{{cite web |last1=McRae |first1=Donald |title=Kim Clijsters: 'Me and Dad had this thing about the number one' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2012/jan/09/kim-clijsters-australian-open |website=The Guardian |access-date=26 January 2019 | date = 9 January 2012 | archive-date = 17 October 2017 | url-status=live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171017150307/https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2012/jan/09/kim-clijsters-australian-open}}</ref> As the defending champion at the year's first Grand Slam event, Clijsters made it to the semifinals. Her fourth round victory came against No. 5 Li Na in a rematch of the 2011 final. She overcame rolling her ankle in the first set and saved four match points at 6–2 in the second set tiebreak to win in three sets.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Clarey |first1=Christopher |title=Clijsters Wins Rematch of 2011 Final |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/23/sports/tennis/23iht-tennis23.html |website=The New York Times|access-date=26 January 2019 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20120126205756/https://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/23/sports/tennis/23iht-tennis23.html | archive-date = 26 January 2012 | date = 22 January 2012 | url-status=live}}</ref> After Clijsters defeated world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki in the quarterfinals,<ref>{{cite web |title=Australian Open 2012: Clijsters win knocks Wozniacki off top spot |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2012/jan/24/australian-open-2012-clijsters-wozniacki |website=The Guardian |access-date=26 January 2019 | date = 24 January 2012 | archive-date= 2 June 2018 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180602020805/https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2012/jan/24/australian-open-2012-clijsters-wozniacki | url-status=live}}</ref> she lost to No. 3 Victoria Azarenka in another three-set match.<ref>{{cite web |title=Maria Sharapova returns to final |url=http://www.espn.com/tennis/aus12/story/_/id/7504749/2012-australian-open-victoria-azarenka-maria-sharapova-reach-women-final |publisher=ESPN |access-date=26 January 2019 | date = 26 January 2012 | url-status=live | archive-date = 26 January 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190126060802/http://www.espn.com/tennis/aus12/story/_/id/7504749/2012-australian-open-victoria-azarenka-maria-sharapova-reach-women-final}}</ref>{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=168}} Both her hip and ankle continued to trouble her for months after the tournament, forcing her to skip the clay court season.<ref name=four-weeks>{{cite web |title=Injured Clijsters Out of Indian Wells |work=WTA Tennis |date=16 February 2012 |url=https://www.wtatennis.com/news/injured-clijsters-out-indian-wells |access-date=26 January 2019 | archive-date = 26 January 2019 | url-status=live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190126060704/https://www.wtatennis.com/news/injured-clijsters-out-indian-wells |author1=Admin }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Kim Clijsters to miss four weeks |date=28 March 2012 |url=http://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/7746685/kim-clijsters-miss-four-weeks-hip-injury |publisher=ESPN |access-date=26 January 2019 | agency = Associated Press | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180712022815/http://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/7746685/kim-clijsters-miss-four-weeks-hip-injury | archive-date = 12 July 2018 | url-status=live}}</ref> After playing once in March and returning in mid-June,<ref name=four-weeks/><ref>{{cite web |title=Kim Clijsters withdraws from Unicef Open |url=http://www.espn.com/espn/wire/_/section/tennis/id/8084237 |publisher=ESPN |access-date=26 January 2019 | archive-date = 26 January 2019 | date = 22 June 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190126061456/http://www.espn.com/espn/wire/_/section/tennis/id/8084237 | url-status=live}}</ref> the last WTA events of Clijsters's career were the final two Grand Slam tournaments of the season.<ref name=wta-match-history/> She lost at [[2012 Wimbledon Championships|Wimbledon]] in the fourth round to No. 8 [[Angelique Kerber]], only winning two games.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Chadband |first1=Ian |title=Wimbledon 2012: Kim Clijsters makes undignified SW19 exit at hands of merciless Angelique Kerber |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/wimbledon/9371395/Wimbledon-2012-Kim-Clijsters-makes-undignified-SW19-exit-at-hands-of-merciless-Angelique-Kerber.html |website=The Telegraph |access-date=26 January 2019 | date = 2 July 2012 | archive-date = 4 July 2012 | url-status=live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120704042504/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/wimbledon/9371395/Wimbledon-2012-Kim-Clijsters-makes-undignified-SW19-exit-at-hands-of-merciless-Angelique-Kerber.html}}</ref> Clijsters entered the US Open having not lost a match there since the 2003 final. She recorded her last WTA singles match win against [[Victoria Duval]] in the first round before falling to [[Laura Robson (tennis)|Laura Robson]] in her next match.{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=173}} Her career ended with a second round mixed doubles loss alongside [[Bob Bryan]] to the eventual champions [[Ekaterina Makarova]] and [[Bruno Soares]], at which point she officially retired.{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=173}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Kim Clijsters' career ends |url=http://www.espn.com/tennis/usopen12/story/_/id/8328291/kim-clijsters-career-ends-mixed-doubles-loss |publisher=ESPN |access-date=26 January 2019 | archive-date = 17 October 2017 | date = 1 September 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171017202027/http://www.espn.com/tennis/usopen12/story/_/id/8328291/kim-clijsters-career-ends-mixed-doubles-loss | url-status=live}}</ref>

===2020–22: Second comeback===

After more than seven years of retirement, Clijsters returned to professional tennis in February 2020 at the [[2020 Dubai Tennis Championships|Dubai Tennis Championships]] as a wildcard. Clijsters lost to Australian Open runner-up [[Garbiñe Muguruza]] in the opening round. She next entered the [[2020 Monterrey Open – Singles|Monterrey Open]] as a wildcard losing in the first round to [[Johanna Konta]]. No tournaments were played due to the COVID-19 pandemic from March to July. Clijsters received wildcards at the inaugural [[2020 Top Seed Open|Top Seed Open]] in singles and doubles alongside [[Sabine Lisicki]]. Clijsters withdrew from both singles and doubles. Clijsters next played the [[2020 US Open – Women's singles|US Open]] on a main draw wildcard losing in the first round to [[Ekaterina Alexandrova]]. Clijsters underwent knee surgery in October and did not play another tournament in 2020.<ref name="reuters">{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/clijsters-set-make-latest-comeback-chicago-2021-09-09/|title=Clijsters set to make latest comeback at Chicago|date=9 September 2021|work=Reuters|access-date=13 September 2021|archive-date=13 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210913141238/https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/clijsters-set-make-latest-comeback-chicago-2021-09-09/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Clijsters pulled out of the [[2021 Miami Open]], saying she did not feel ready to compete after her surgery and contracting [[COVID-19]] in January.<ref name="reuters"/> She played her first tournament of the year at the [[2021 Chicago Fall Tennis Classic – Singles|Chicago Fall Tennis Classic]], having accepted a wildcard, but lost in the first round to [[Hsieh Su-Wei]] in three sets.<ref name="reuters"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/32294414/battling-inconsistency-return-kim-clijsters-38-loses-first-round-chicago-fall-classic|title=Clijsters, 38, falls in three sets in WTA Tour return|date=27 September 2021|website=ESPN.com|access-date=30 September 2021|archive-date=30 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210930030512/https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/32294414/battling-inconsistency-return-kim-clijsters-38-loses-first-round-chicago-fall-classic|url-status=live}}</ref> She entered the doubles draw too, the partner was [[Kirsten Flipkens]], but they lost in the first round. Clijsters then participated in postponed [[2021 BNP Paribas Open – Women's singles|Indian Wells Masters]], drew [[Kateřina Siniaková]] and lost in three sets in the first round. Clijsters played a number of matches for [[World TeamTennis]] in 2021, aligned with the [[New York Empire (tennis)|New York Empire]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=John |first=Andre |date=11 November 2021 |title=Kim Clijsters, in Indian Wells for World Team Tennis, plans to give latest tennis comeback more time |work=Palm Springs Desert Sun |url=https://eu.desertsun.com/story/sports/tennis/2021/11/19/kim-clijsters-plans-give-her-latest-tennis-comeback-more-time/8641607002/ |access-date=12 April 2022}}</ref>

With many tournaments having been postponed due to the [[Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports#Tennis|COVID-19 pandemic]], Clijsters had only been able to play five matches within the two years that she had returned to the tour. On 12 April 2022, Clijsters announced that she was ending her comeback and again retiring from tennis, citing a desire to focus more on family life.<ref>{{Cite news |date=12 April 2022 |title=Kim Clijsters: Former world number one retires from tennis for third time |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/61083749 |access-date=12 April 2022}}</ref>

==National representation==
===Fed Cup===
Clijsters made her [[Fed Cup]] debut for [[Belgium Fed Cup team|Belgium]] in [[2000 Fed Cup|2000]] at the age of 16. The top-tier [[2000 Fed Cup World Group|World Group]] that year consisted of 13 teams, 12 of which were divided into three round robin groups. The winners of the round robin groups in April would compete with the defending champion [[United States Fed Cup team|United States team]] in a knockout format for the title in November. Belgium was placed in a group with [[Australia Fed Cup team|Australia]], [[France Fed Cup team|France]], and [[Russia Fed Cup team|Russia]]. Each tie was contested over one day as a best-of-three rubbers, two in singles and the last in doubles. Clijsters only played singles, while Els Callens and Laurence Courtois played all three doubles matches. Although Clijsters narrowly lost her debut to Jelena Dokic of Australia by a score of 9–7 in the third set, her teammates were able to secure the tie. She won her other two matches against [[Nathalie Tauziat]] of France and [[Anna Kournikova]] of Russia, both of which were crucial as Belgium won each of those ties 2–1 as well to win the group. In the semifinals, Henin returned to the team as they faced the United States. After Henin lost to [[Monica Seles]], Clijsters needed to defeat Lindsay Davenport to keep Belgium in the tournament. She won the second set, but ultimately lost the match.<ref>{{cite web |title=Fed Cup J-18: 2000 : la première de Kim Clijsters |url=http://www.aftnet.be/Info/Divers/Fed-Cup-J-18-2000-la-premiere-de-Kim-Clijsters |publisher=Association Francophone de Tenis |access-date=26 January 2019 | language = fr | archive-date = 26 January 2019 | url-status=live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190126222925/http://www.aftnet.be/Info/Divers/Fed-Cup-J-18-2000-la-premiere-de-Kim-Clijsters}}</ref>

The following year, the format for the Fed Cup changed again. The three round robin pools were reduced to two and the winners of each pool would contest a final tie for the title. Belgium's team of Clijsters, Henin, Callens, and Courtois from the 2000 final all returned for [[2001 Fed Cup|2001]]. With Henin and Clijsters exclusively playing singles, and Callens and Courtois playing doubles, Belgium won all nine of their rubbers against [[Spain Fed Cup team|Spain]], [[Germany Fed Cup team|Germany]], and Australia to advance to the final. Facing Russia, Henin defeated Nadia Petrova and Clijsters defeated Elena Dementieva to secure Belgium's first Fed Cup crown. Courtois commented, "We were never under any pressure, mainly because Kim and Justine were so strong."{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=33}}

While Clijsters and Henin were on the team, Belgium came closest to another Fed Cup triumph in 2006. In this year, the World Group consisted of eight teams in a knockout tournament. In the first round against Russia, both Clijsters and Henin made themselves available and won three out of four singles matches to advance.{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=95}} Although Henin missed the semifinal, Clijsters and [[Kirsten Flipkens]] were able to lead Belgium to a victory over the United States, who were also short-handed without Lindsay Davenport or the Williams sisters.<ref>{{cite web |title=Italy reaches first Fed Cup final against Belgium |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/16/sports/16iht-tennis.2213112.html |website=The New York Times|access-date=26 January 2019 |archive-date=26 January 2019 |date=16 July 2006 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190126231450/https://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/16/sports/16iht-tennis.2213112.html}}</ref> However, Clijsters was forced to miss the Fed Cup final due to a wrist injury.<ref name=2006-wrist/> Henin and Flipkens returned for the final, which Belgium hosted against [[Italy Fed Cup team|Italy]]. The tie was decided by the doubles rubber, which Belgium lost after Henin aggravated a knee injury she suffered in one of her singles rubbers and needed to retire down 2–0 in the third set.<ref>{{cite web |title=Italy win Fed Cup for first time |url=https://www.eurosport.com/tennis/fed-cup/2006/italy-win-fed-cup_sto966333/story.shtml |publisher=Eurosport |access-date=26 January 2019 | archive-date = 26 January 2019 | date = 17 September 2006 | url-status=live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190126232720/https://www.eurosport.com/tennis/fed-cup/2006/italy-win-fed-cup_sto966333/story.shtml}}</ref>

Clijsters also played on the Belgium Fed Cup team from 2002 to 2005, and 2010–11 after she returned from retirement. The team's best results in those years were two semifinal appearances in [[2003 Fed Cup|2003]] and [[2011 Fed Cup|2011]]. Clijsters missed the ties in which Belgium was eliminated in both instances.<ref>{{cite web |title=World Group Semifinal USA 4 : Belgium 1 |url=https://www.fedcup.com/en/draws-results/tie.aspx?id=W-FC-2003-WG-M-USA-BEL-01 |publisher=Fed Cup |access-date=26 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190126233159/https://www.fedcup.com/en/draws-results/tie.aspx?id=W-FC-2003-WG-M-USA-BEL-01 |archive-date=26 January 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=World Group Semifinal Belgium 2: Czech Republic 3 |url=https://www.fedcup.com/en/draws-results/tie.aspx?id=W-FC-2011-WG-M-CZE-BEL-01 |publisher=Fed Cup |access-date=26 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190127094444/https://www.fedcup.com/en/draws-results/tie.aspx?id=W-FC-2011-WG-M-CZE-BEL-01 |archive-date=27 January 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> Overall, Clijsters compiled a 24–4 record in Fed Cup, split across 21–3 in singles and 3–1 in doubles.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kim Clijsters |url=https://www.fedcup.com/en/players/player.aspx?id=800201740 |publisher=Fed Cup |access-date=26 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190127152537/https://www.fedcup.com/en/players/player.aspx?id=800201740 |archive-date=27 January 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Hopman Cup===
Clijsters participated in the [[Hopman Cup]] from 2001 to 2004, partnering with [[Olivier Rochus]] in the first instance and [[Xavier Malisse]] thereafter. The tournament consists of eight teams, each with one female and one male player from the same country. The teams are divided into two round robin groups, the winners of which compete for the title. Each tie consists of a women's singles match, a men's singles match, and a mixed doubles match. The Belgian team did not advance to final in any of the years Clijsters participated. Their best performances came in [[2002 Hopman Cup|2002]] and [[2003 Hopman Cup|2003]] when they won two out of three round robin ties.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hopman Cup 2001 |work=Hopman Cup |url=https://hopmancup.com/the_history/hopman-cup-2001-xiii/ |access-date=27 January 2019 | archive-date = 27 January 2019 | url-status=live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190127000436/https://hopmancup.com/the_history/hopman-cup-2001-xiii/}}</ref><ref name=hopman-2002/><ref name=hopman-2003/><ref>{{cite web |title=Hopman Cup 2004 |work=Hopman Cup |url=https://hopmancup.com/the_history/hopman-cup-2004-xvi/ |access-date=27 January 2019 | archive-date = 7 December 2017 | url-status=live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171207141431/https://hopmancup.com/the_history/hopman-cup-2004-xvi/}}</ref>

In 2002, they finished tied for first with the United States and Italy in a group that also featured France. Belgium's only loss came against the United States, with Clijsters and Malisse losing both singles matches to Monica Seles and [[Jan-Michael Gambill]] respectively. Although the United States lost to Italy, they advanced out of the group on the tiebreak criteria, having won six rubbers compared to the five won by each of Belgium and Italy. Both of the ties Belgium had won were by a score of 2–1, with Clijsters losing to Francesca Schiavone against Italy and the pair losing the mixed doubles against the French team of [[Virginie Razzano]] and [[Arnaud Clément]].<ref name=hopman-2002>{{cite web |title=Hopman Cup 2002 |work=Hopman Cup |url=https://hopmancup.com/the_history/hopman-cup-2002-xiv/ |access-date=26 January 2019 | url-status=live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180105233556/https://hopmancup.com/the_history/hopman-cup-2002-xiv/ | archive-date = 5 January 2018}}</ref> The following year, Clijsters and Malisse again lost to the United States, who fielded a different team of Serena Williams and [[James Blake (tennis)|James Blake]].<ref name=hopman-2003>{{cite web |title=Hopman Cup 2003 |work=Hopman Cup |url=https://hopmancup.com/the_history/hopman-cup-2003-xv/ |access-date=27 January 2019 | url-status=live | archive-date = 31 December 2018 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181231092837/https://hopmancup.com/the_history/hopman-cup-2003-xv/}}</ref>

===Olympics===
Clijsters did not compete at the Olympics until 2012 near the end of her career. She had been ranked inside the top 40 in the months leading up to the [[Tennis at the 2000 Summer Olympics|2000 Sydney Olympics]] in September, high enough to qualify. However, she did not make herself available for selection for a variety of reasons including issues with her shoulder and the event's timing a week after the US Open.{{sfn|van de Winkel|2012|loc=chpt. 3}} During the [[Tennis at the 2004 Summer Olympics|2004 Athens Olympics]], she was in the middle of a long absence from competition after undergoing wrist surgery.{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=68}} However, she had announced before the year began that she did not intend to compete at the Games because [[Adidas]] was the Belgian team's uniform sponsor and her contract with [[Fila (company)|Fila]] forbade her from wearing clothing from another company.<ref>{{cite web |title=Clijsters out of Olympics in sponsor dispute |url=http://www.espn.com/sports/tennis/news/story?id=1675164 |publisher=ESPN |access-date=26 January 2019 | date = 1 December 2003 | archive-date = 26 October 2017 | url-status=live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171026002040/http://www.espn.com/sports/tennis/news/story?id=1675164}}</ref> The [[Tennis at the 2008 Summer Olympics|2008 Beijing Olympics]] took place during her first retirement.{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=168}}

Clijsters's desire to represent [[Belgium at the Olympics]] was one of the underlying reasons why she prolonged her second career until the [[Tennis at the 2012 Summer Olympics|2012 London Games]] in late July.{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=168}} At the time, she did not have good results at her most recent tournaments, withdrawing from the [[2012 UNICEF Open|Rosmalen Grass Court Championships]] in the semifinals in June due to injury and suffering a lopsided loss in the fourth round at Wimbledon. In her Olympic debut, Clijsters won her first three matches in straight sets, defeating [[Roberta Vinci]], [[Carla Suárez Navarro]], and No. 12 [[Ana Ivanovic]] in succession.<ref name=wta-match-history/> She faced No. 3 Maria Sharapova in the quarterfinals, losing in straight sets one match before the medal rounds.{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=168}}<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bodo |first1=Peter |title=Olympics: Sharapova d. Clijsters |url=http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2012/08/olympics-sharapova-d-clijsters/38313/ |website=Tennis.com |access-date=26 January 2019 |date=2 August 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190126091933/http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2012/08/olympics-sharapova-d-clijsters/38313/ |archive-date=26 January 2019}}</ref>

== Rivalries ==
=== Clijsters vs. Henin ===
{{Main|Clijsters–Henin rivalry}}
Clijsters's biggest rival was Justine Henin.<ref name=belgium-dominating/> Their rivalry began during their junior years when they were both considered promising young talents.{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=15}} They started out as friends and won the Belgian Junior Championships as doubles partners at ages ten and eleven respectively, despite only being able to communicate with hand signals due to Clijsters not knowing French and Henin not knowing Flemish.<ref name=guardian-rivalry-with-henin/>{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=15}}{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=95}} However, their friendship began to fade by their mid-teens, leading to disputes that their coaches would try to keep out of the media.<ref name=spat/> Clijsters attributed this deterioration in part to one of Henin's coaches telling Henin, "she had to hate all of her opponents, and only then could she win." She also acknowledged they had very different personalities.{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=188}}

Clijsters and Henin typically downplayed any disagreements between them, saying they were overdramatized by the media.<ref name=guardian-rivalry-with-henin/><ref name=belgium-dominating/> When they were professionals, Clijsters accused Henin of routinely faking injuries in their matches to receive medical timeouts. Additionally, Clijsters's father seemed to allege that Henin was taking [[Performance-enhancing substance|performance-enhancing drugs]].<ref name=guardian-rivalry-with-henin/><ref name=belgium-dominating/> Although they had won the Fed Cup together in 2001, they were not interested in playing on the same team in 2004 or 2005. The following year, Clijsters's former coach Carl Maes, who was then the Belgium Fed Cup captain, helped convince Clijsters to reunite with Henin, and together they ultimately reached another final.{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=95}}

On the court, they played each other in 25 WTA matches, making each of them the other's most frequent opponent. Although Clijsters won the series 13–12, Henin won seven out of their eleven meetings in finals including all three at Grand Slam tournaments. The latest stage win Clijsters had at a major was in the semifinals of the 2001 French Open. She also defeated Henin en route to her first WTA Tour Championship in 2002. Clijsters dominated their hard court meetings 8–4, while Henin dominated on clay 5–1. Henin also won three of their five grass court encounters. Before both of their first retirements, Henin was leading the series 12–10. However, Clijsters won all three of their meetings during their comebacks to win the series.<ref name="henin-h2h">{{cite web |title=Kim Clijsters v. Justine Henin |url=https://www.itftennis.com/procircuit/players/head-to-head/result.aspx?player1=20011723&player2=20010490 |publisher=ITF Tennis |access-date=7 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180805052806/https://www.itftennis.com/procircuit/players/head-to-head/result.aspx?player1=20011723&player2=20010490 |archive-date=5 August 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Clijsters vs. Williams sisters===
The Williams sisters were both No. 1 in the world and combined for 15 Grand Slam singles titles while Clijsters was on tour.<ref>{{cite web |title=Serena Williams |work=WTA Tennis |date=16 July 2018 |url=https://www.wtatennis.com/players/player/230234/title/serena-Williams |access-date=3 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190306114435/https://www.wtatennis.com/players/player/230234/title/serena-Williams |archive-date=6 March 2019 |url-status=live |author1=Admin }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Venus Williams |work=WTA Tennis |date=16 July 2018 |url=https://www.wtatennis.com/players/player/230220/title/venus-williams-0 |access-date=3 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190306045617/https://www.wtatennis.com/players/player/230220/title/venus-williams-0 |archive-date=6 March 2019 |url-status=live |author1=Admin }}</ref> Clijsters had a record of just 2–7 against [[Serena Williams|Serena]], who she called her toughest opponent.<ref name=cute-video>{{cite web |title=Clijsters reflects on career, family |url=https://edition.cnn.com/videos/sports/2012/12/20/open-court-kim-clijsters-grand-slam-champion.cnn |publisher=CNN |access-date=3 February 2019 |date=20 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190204065929/https://edition.cnn.com/videos/sports/2012/12/20/open-court-kim-clijsters-grand-slam-champion.cnn |archive-date=4 February 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=serena-h2h>{{cite web |title=Kim Clijsters v. Serena Williams |url=https://www.itftennis.com/procircuit/players/head-to-head/result.aspx?player1=20011723&player2=20007765 |publisher=ITF Tennis |access-date=3 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190204123809/https://www.itftennis.com/procircuit/players/head-to-head/result.aspx?player1=20011723&player2=20007765 |archive-date=4 February 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> She fared better against [[Venus Williams|Venus]], compiling a winning record of 7–6.<ref name=venus-h2h>{{cite web |title=Kim Clijsters v. Venus Williams |url=https://www.itftennis.com/procircuit/players/head-to-head/result.aspx?player1=20011723&player2=20005009 |publisher=ITF Tennis |access-date=3 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180805083317/https://www.itftennis.com/procircuit/players/head-to-head/result.aspx?player1=20011723&player2=20005009 |archive-date=5 August 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Clijsters's rivalry with Serena included two of the biggest controversies in Serena's career: the 2001 Indian Wells final which led to both Williams sisters' long boycott of the tournament, and the 2009 US Open semifinal which Serena lost on a point penalty.<ref name=boycott/><ref name="match-point-penalty">{{cite web |last1=Robbins |first1=Liz |title=Clijsters Wins on Penalty Assessed on Williams |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/13/sports/tennis/13women.html |website=The New York Times|access-date=17 January 2019 | date = 12 September 2009 | archive-date = 8 January 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190108123402/https://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/13/sports/tennis/13women.html | url-status=live}}</ref> Serena defeated Clijsters in their first five meetings. She also won all four of their three-set encounters, including their 1999 US Open third round match and their 2003 Australian Open semifinal where Clijsters had the opportunity to serve for both matches.{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=21}}<ref name=serena-comeback-loss/><ref name=serena-h2h/> Although Clijsters only had two wins against Serena, both were considered big upsets and among the most important wins of her career. Her victory in the 2002 WTA Tour Championship final gave Clijsters her biggest title at the time, and her win at the 2009 US Open set up her first Grand Slam singles title as a mother one match later.{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=25}}<ref name=popular>{{cite magazine |last1=Graham |first1=Bryan Armen |title=Mental fortitude helped Clijsters stand tall against toughest of era |url=https://www.si.com/tennis/2012/08/30/kim-clijsters-ends-career-us-open |magazine=Sports Illustrated |access-date=3 February 2019 |url-status=live |archive-date=3 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190203092245/https://www.si.com/tennis/2012/08/30/kim-clijsters-ends-career-us-open |date=30 August 2012}}</ref> Clijsters also defeated Venus in both of those tournaments, making her the only player to record wins over both Williams sisters at the same event twice.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Macpherson |first1=Alex |title=Taking on Serena and Venus: A history of the Williams double as Halep prepares for showdown |url=https://www.wtatennis.com/news/taking-serena-and-venus-history-williams-double-halep-prepares-showdown |publisher=WTA Tennis |access-date=3 February 2019 |date=20 January 2019 |url-status=live |archive-date=3 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190203062315/https://www.wtatennis.com/news/taking-serena-and-venus-history-williams-double-halep-prepares-showdown}}</ref>

Venus also initially dominated her rivalry with Clijsters. She won six of their first eight meetings, including two in the late stages of Grand Slam tournaments in the quarterfinals of the 2001 US Open and the semifinals of 2003 Wimbledon. Venus also eliminated Clijsters from the Diamond Games in Belgium twice in 2003 and 2005. Additionally, one of Clijsters's first two wins against Venus was a retirement due to injury at the 2002 WTA Tour Championships. Nonetheless, Clijsters rebounded to win their last five meetings and end her career leading in their head-to-head record. Three of those five victories came at the US Open en route to her three titles at the event in 2005, 2009, and 2010.<ref name=venus-h2h/>

===Other rivals===
In addition to Henin and the Williams sisters, Clijsters also developed rivalries with several other players who had been ranked No. 1 in the world. Two of her most frequent opponents were Lindsay Davenport and Amélie Mauresmo. Clijsters narrowly had winning records against both of them, going 9–8 versus Davenport and 8–7 versus Mauresmo. Davenport had won six of their first seven meetings before Clijsters won eight of their next nine encounters, including all five in 2003. Clijsters defeated Davenport in all four of their meetings in finals, including two at the Indian Wells Open. While Davenport had a 5–1 lead in Grand Slam tournaments, Clijsters won their latest-stage such meeting in the semifinals of the 2003 US Open.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kim Clijsters v. Lindsay Davenport |url=https://www.itftennis.com/procircuit/players/head-to-head/result.aspx?player1=20011723&player2=20001736 |publisher=ITF Tennis |access-date=3 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180805084916/https://www.itftennis.com/procircuit/players/head-to-head/result.aspx?player1=20011723&player2=20001736 |archive-date=5 August 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> Unlike against Davenport, Clijsters initially dominated her rivalry with Mauresmo, winning eight of their first ten matches before Mauresmo took the last five. They met in two WTA Tour Championship finals, which they split. Mauresmo also denied Clijsters chances to win more titles in her home country when she won their finals at both the 2006 and 2007 Diamond Games.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kim Clijsters v. Amélie Mauresmo |url=https://www.itftennis.com/procircuit/players/head-to-head/result.aspx?player1=20011723&player2=20005298 |publisher=ITF Tennis |access-date=3 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190204122209/https://www.itftennis.com/procircuit/players/head-to-head/result.aspx?player1=20011723&player2=20005298 |archive-date=4 February 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Exhibition matches==
[[File:Stade Roi Baudouin (cropped).JPG|thumb|upright=1.2|[[King Baudouin Stadium]], the site of the record-setting match between Clijsters and Serena Williams|alt=King Baudouin Stadium set up for a football match]]
During Clijsters's first retirement, the invitation to participate in the roof test exhibition series at Wimbledon in May 2009 inspired her to return to the WTA Tour.{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=109}} In the summer, she joined the [[St. Louis Aces]] of the [[World Team Tennis]] league to help prepare for her comeback.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kim Clijsters concludes WTT Comeback en Route to U.S. Open |url=http://www.tennisgrandstand.com/archives/4488 |website=Tennis Grandstand |access-date=27 January 2019 | date = 23 July 2009 | archive-date = 26 July 2009 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090726120500/http://www.tennisgrandstand.com/archives/4488}}</ref> She also participated in World Team Tennis the following year as a member of the [[New York Sportimes]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Kim Clijsters verslaat Martina Hingis in Amerika |url=https://www.demorgen.be/sport/kim-clijsters-verslaat-martina-hingis-in-amerika-b3c049e2/ |website=De Morgen |access-date=27 January 2019 |trans-title=Kim Clijsters defeats Martina Hingis in America |date=20 July 2010 |language=nl |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190128083320/https://www.demorgen.be/sport/kim-clijsters-verslaat-martina-hingis-in-amerika-b3c049e2/ |archive-date=28 January 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> Ten years after the roof test on Centre Court that inspired her comeback, Clijsters returned to Wimbledon to participate in an exhibition series to test the new roof on Court No. 1 in which she played a set of singles against Venus Williams as well as a set of mixed doubles.<ref>{{cite web |title=Social buzz: Venus joins Wimbledon roof party |url=https://www.wtatennis.com/news/social-buzz-venus-joins-wimbledon-roof-party |publisher=WTA Tennis |access-date=9 June 2019 |date=20 May 2019 |archive-date=9 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190609044141/https://www.wtatennis.com/news/social-buzz-venus-joins-wimbledon-roof-party |url-status=live }}</ref>

On 8 July 2010, an exhibition match between Clijsters and Henin was scheduled as an attempt to set a new world record for largest attendance at a tennis match. The contest took place at the [[King Baudouin Stadium]] and was a part of the Best of Belgium national festival. After Henin needed to withdraw from the match due to an elbow injury, Serena Williams was chosen as a replacement. Clijsters defeated Williams in straight sets. A total of 35,681 people attended the match, breaking the world record of 30,472 set in 1973 by the [[Battle of the Sexes (tennis)|Battle of the Sexes]] between [[Billie Jean King]] and [[Bobby Riggs]].{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=130}}

Beginning in 2009, the [[Diamond Games]] in Antwerp was reorganized from a WTA tournament into an exhibition series. During her comeback, Clijsters played at the event three times, winning matches against Venus Williams in 2009,<ref>{{cite web |title=Kim queen of the Antwerp Sportpaleis |url=http://sport.be.msn.com/thomascookdiamondgames/2009/eng/nieuws/?Article_ID=406480 |website=Sport.be |access-date=28 January 2019 | date = 9 December 2009 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110725034451/http://sport.be.msn.com/thomascookdiamondgames/2009/eng/nieuws/?Article_ID=406480 | archive-date = 25 July 2011}}</ref> Henin in 2010,<ref>{{cite web |title=Clijsters beats returning Henin in special exhibition |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2010/SPORT/tennis/12/09/clijsters.henin.exhibition.olympics/index.html |publisher=CNN |access-date=28 January 2019 | archive-date = 18 August 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160818111926/http://edition.cnn.com/2010/SPORT/tennis/12/09/clijsters.henin.exhibition.olympics/index.html | url-status=live | date = 10 December 2010}}</ref> and world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki in 2011.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Nguyen |first1=Courtney |title=Kim Clijsters beats Caroline Wozniacki in a wacky exhibition in Belgium |url=https://www.si.com/tennis/beyond-baseline/2011/12/09/kim-clijsters-beats-caroline-wozniacki-in-a-wacky-exhibition-in-belgium |magazine=Sports Illustrated |access-date=28 January 2019 | url-status=live | archive-date = 28 January 2019 | date = 9 December 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190128002306/https://www.si.com/tennis/beyond-baseline/2011/12/09/kim-clijsters-beats-caroline-wozniacki-in-a-wacky-exhibition-in-belgium}}</ref> She continued to play at the event after retiring. The 2012 edition was named "Kim's Thank You Games" in honor of her retirement, and the following year the event was known as the Kim Clijsters Invitational.<ref>{{cite web |title=Diamond Games 2012 omgetoverd tot 'Kim's Thank You Games' |url=https://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/dmf20120827_119 |website=Het Nieuwsblad |access-date=28 January 2019 | language = nl | trans-title = Diamond Games 2012 transformed into 'Kim's Thank You Games' | date = 27 August 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160410225652/https://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/dmf20120827_119 | archive-date = 10 April 2016 | url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Clijsters wins in Antwerp Exhibition |url=http://www.wtatennis.com/news/article/3573381 |publisher=WTA Tennis |access-date=28 January 2019 | archive-date = 5 January 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160105124255/http://www.wtatennis.com/news/article/3573381 | date = 12 December 2013}}</ref> In [[2015 Diamond Games|2015]], the Diamond Games were revived as a WTA event with Clijsters serving as the tournament director. She also played an exhibition set with finalist [[Andrea Petkovic]] after her opponent withdrew before the start of the championship match due to injury.<ref>{{cite web |title=Petkovic Caps Dream Week in Antwerp |url=https://www.wtatennis.com/news/petkovic-caps-dream-week-antwerp |publisher=WTA Tennis |access-date=28 January 2019 | date = 15 February 2015 | url-status=live | archive-date = 11 July 2018 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180711185430/http://www.wtatennis.com/news/petkovic-caps-dream-week-antwerp}}</ref>

Since her retirement in 2012, Clijsters has regularly played in the legends, champions, and invitation doubles events at all four Grand Slam tournaments.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Petkovski |first1=Suzi |title=Clijsters embracing the Legends life |url=https://ausopen.com/articles/features/clijsters-embracing-legends-life |publisher=Australian Open |access-date=27 January 2019 | date = 24 January 2019 | url-status=live | archive-date = 27 January 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190127234717/https://ausopen.com/articles/features/clijsters-embracing-legends-life}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Rogers |first1=Leigh |title=Kim Clijsters: My role now is to give back |url=https://tennismash.com/2017/07/25/kim-clijsters-my-role-now-is-to-give-back/ |website=Tennis Mash |access-date=27 January 2019 | date = 25 July 2017 | archive-date = 27 January 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190127235100/https://tennismash.com/2017/07/25/kim-clijsters-my-role-now-is-to-give-back/ | url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Kim Clijsters remporte le double du Tournoi des Légendes à l'US Open |url=https://www.rtbf.be/sport/tennis/us-open/detail_kim-clijsters-remporte-le-double-du-tournoi-des-legendes-a-l-us-open?id=9705535 |publisher=RTBF |access-date=27 January 2019 | date = 11 September 2017 | url-status=live | language = fr | archive-date = 27 January 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190127235413/https://www.rtbf.be/sport/tennis/us-open/detail_kim-clijsters-remporte-le-double-du-tournoi-des-legendes-a-l-us-open?id=9705535}}</ref> One of her matches in the [[2017 Wimbledon Championships – Ladies' invitation doubles|2017 Wimbledon ladies' invitation doubles]] event drew public interest for Clijsters inviting a male spectator onto the court to play a few points. The spectator, Chris Quinn, had suggested Clijsters try a body serve when she had asked the crowd whether she should serve left or right. Before playing the points, she gave Quinn a women's shirt and [[skort]] so that he could abide by Wimbledon's all-white dress code. A video of the incident has over four million views on YouTube.<ref>{{cite web |title=Wimbledon surprise for Irish man served by Kim Clijsters |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-40635083 |publisher=BBC |access-date=28 January 2019 | date = 17 July 2017 | archive-date = 27 September 2018 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180927091218/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-40635083 | url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Kim Clijsters gives man tennis skirt for hit at Wimbledon 2017 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z04Oe_GULao |website=Wimbledon (via YouTube) | date=14 July 2017 |access-date=28 January 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190108142248/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z04Oe_GULao | url-status=live | archive-date = 8 January 2019}}</ref>

==Legacy==
Clijsters has been ranked as the 14th-greatest women's tennis player in the Open Era by ''[[Tennis.com]]''.<ref name=fourteen>{{cite web |last1=Tignor |first1=Steve |title=The Greatest Players of the Open Era (W): No. 14, Kim Clijsters |url=http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2018/02/50-greatest-players-open-era-w-no-14-kim-clijsters/72061/ |website=Tennis.com |access-date=29 January 2019 | date = 13 February 2018 | url-status=live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180624040403/http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2018/02/50-greatest-players-open-era-w-no-14-kim-clijsters/72061/ | archive-date = 24 June 2018}}</ref> Her 41 singles titles are the 14th-most in the Open Era.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kim Clijsters concludes her singles career with U.S Open loss to Laura Robson |url=http://www.wsenetwork.com/tennis-kim-clijsters-concludes-her-singles-career-with-u-s-open-loss-to-laura-robson/ |publisher=WTA Tennis (via Women's Sports and Entertainment Network) |access-date=3 March 2019 |date=1 September 2012 |url-status=live |archive-date=3 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190303083340/http://www.wsenetwork.com/tennis-kim-clijsters-concludes-her-singles-career-with-u-s-open-loss-to-laura-robson/}}</ref> Since 2000, only the Williams sisters, Justine Henin, and Maria Sharapova have won more than her four Grand Slam singles titles.<ref>{{cite web |title=Women's Grand Slam Title Winners |url=http://www.espn.com/sports/tennis/history?type=women |publisher=ESPN |access-date=4 March 2019 |url-status=live |archive-date=9 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180409073557/http://www.espn.com/sports/tennis/history?type=women}}</ref> The three titles she won at the [[WTA Tour Championships]] are tied for the fifth-most in history behind only Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf, Serena Williams, and Chris Evert.<ref>{{cite web |title=WTA Finals History |url=https://www.wtafinals.com/news/news/11-features/1601-wta-finals-history |publisher=WTA Finals |access-date=2 February 2019 |date=13 February 2014 |archive-date=2 February 2019 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190202065247/https://www.wtafinals.com/news/news/11-features/1601-wta-finals-history}}</ref> Clijsters was a champion at all four Grand Slam tournaments, winning the French Open and Wimbledon in doubles and the US Open and Australian Open in singles.<ref name=tennis-hof/> Her prowess at singles and doubles is also highlighted by her becoming one of six players in WTA history to be No. 1 in the world in both rankings at the same time.<ref name=six-players/>

Clijsters and Henin are recognized for "putting Belgium on the tennis map".<ref name=fourteen/> Before they established themselves in the upper echelon of women's tennis, Dominique Van Roost was the only player in Belgian history to be ranked in the top ten of the ATP or WTA rankings, a mark she did not achieve until 1998 after Clijsters and Henin turned professional.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Berkok |first1=John |title=David Goffin Breaks Top 10 and Makes History |url=http://thetennischannel.com/reporters/john-berkok/david-goffin-breaks-top-10-makes-history |publisher=The Tennis Channel |access-date=2 February 2019 |date=20 February 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190202072138/http://thetennischannel.com/reporters/john-berkok/david-goffin-breaks-top-10-makes-history |archive-date=2 February 2019}}</ref> The Belgium Fed Cup team had never reached the quarterfinals until 1997 when they made the semifinals. With Clijsters on the team, Belgium made it to at least the semifinals four times, reaching the final in 2006 and winning the championship in 2001.<ref>{{cite web |title=Belgium Team Win/Loss |url=https://www.fedcup.com/en/teams/team.aspx?id=BEL |publisher=Fed Cup |access-date=4 March 2019 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171024095442/https://www.fedcup.com/en/teams/team.aspx?id=BEL |archive-date=24 October 2017}}</ref> She also became the first Belgian to be ranked No. 1 in each of singles and doubles.{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=45}} Belgium was regarded as dominating women's tennis when Clijsters and Henin were the top two players in the world for several months in late 2003.<ref name="belgium-dominating">{{cite web |title=Sister act II – Belgian rivalry and an uncivil war |url=https://www.smh.com.au/sport/tennis/sister-act-ii-belgian-rivalry-and-an-uncivil-war-20040131-gdi9kb.html |website=The Sydney Morning Herald|access-date=29 January 2019 | date = 31 January 2004 | url-status=live | archive-date = 29 January 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190129053050/https://www.smh.com.au/sport/tennis/sister-act-ii-belgian-rivalry-and-an-uncivil-war-20040131-gdi9kb.html}}</ref> 

After Clijsters's retirement, she established a now defunct tennis school, the Kim Clijsters Academy in her hometown of Bree. The academy (in 2022 sold by Clijsters and turned into a [[padel]] club by businessmen including [[Marc Coucke]]) used to be run by Clijsters's longtime coach Carl Maes and was intended to serve young players.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kim Clijsters Academy |url=http://www.sport.be/kcsportsandhealthclub/nl/academie/kcacademie/englishversion/ |publisher=Kim Clijsters Sports and Health Club |access-date=2 February 2019 |url-status=live |archive-date=4 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180904040204/http://www.sport.be/kcsportsandhealthclub/nl/academie/kcacademie/englishversion/}}</ref>

Clijsters was one of the most popular and well-liked players in tennis among both fans and her fellow players.<ref name=popular/><ref name=fourteen/> She won the [[WTA Awards#Karen Krantzcke Sportsmanship Award|Karen Krantzcke Sportsmanship Award]] a record eight times. Clijsters was proud of her reputation as one of the nicest players on the WTA Tour, saying, "I always try every day to be a good person and to be nice to others, and I think that's probably the most important thing. I'm proud that I won tournaments and everything, but I want players to think that Kim was a nice person."<ref>{{cite web |last1=DeFrancesco |first1=Tracey |title=Kim Clijsters: A Legacy in Two Parts |url=http://www.tennisviewmag.com/tennis-view-magazine/article/kim-clijsters-legacy-two-parts |website=Tennis View Magazine |access-date=29 January 2019 |url-status=live |archive-date=31 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131231160554/http://www.tennisviewmag.com/tennis-view-magazine/article/kim-clijsters-legacy-two-parts}}</ref> Clijsters was also regarded as a source of inspiration to mothers on the WTA Tour, a role she embraced.<ref>{{cite web |title=Clijsters happy to be working mum role model |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2009/SPORT/09/14/tennis.clijsters.us.open/index.html |publisher=CNN |access-date=2 February 2019 |date=14 September 2009 |archive-date=29 January 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110129034624/http://edition.cnn.com/2009/SPORT/09/14/tennis.clijsters.us.open/index.html}}</ref> She is one of three mothers to win a Grand Slam singles title, and her three such titles are tied with [[Margaret Court]] for the most of all time. Additionally, Clijsters is the only mother to be ranked No. 1 in the world since the start of the WTA rankings in 1975.<ref name="five-facts">{{cite web |last1=Berkok |first1=John |title=5 Fast Facts About Official Hall of Famer Kim Clijsters |url=http://thetennischannel.com/reporters/john-berkok/5-fast-facts-about-kim-clijsters |publisher=Tennis Channel |access-date=25 January 2019 | archive-date = 25 January 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190125045336/http://thetennischannel.com/reporters/john-berkok/5-fast-facts-about-kim-clijsters | url-status=live | date = 22 July 2017}}</ref> She appeared on the [[Time 100|''Time'' 100]] list in 2011 in large part because of her successful comeback.<ref name="time-100">{{cite magazine |last1=Navratilova |first1=Martina |title=Kim Clijsters |url=https://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2066367_2066369_2066314,00.html |magazine=Time |access-date=29 January 2019 |date=21 April 2011 |url-status=live |archive-date=20 March 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150320030803/http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2066367_2066369_2066314,00.html}}</ref>

==Playing style==
[[File:Kim Clijsters 2011 FO (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.70|Clijsters serving|alt=Clijsters at the 2011 French Open]]
Clijsters is an all-court player who employed a mixture of offensive and defensive styles of play.<ref name=tennis-hof/> On the defensive side, her movement is regarded as exceptional, enabling her to endure long rallies.<ref name=tennis-hof/><ref>{{cite web |last1=Pells |first1=Eddie |title=Clijsters wins US Open in return from retirement |url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-ten-us-open-women-091309-2009sep13-story.html |website=San Diego Tribune |date=14 September 2009 |access-date=6 February 2019 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190206072828/https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-ten-us-open-women-091309-2009sep13-story.html |archive-date=6 February 2019}}</ref> Maria Sharapova has commented that, "You just have to expect that she's going to get every ball back."<ref>{{cite web |title=Comeback queen Clijsters triumphs |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/4402013.stm |publisher=BBC |access-date=6 February 2019 |url-status=live |date=2 April 2005 |archive-date=24 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181124110132/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/4402013.stm}}</ref>
In addition to her movement, Clijsters often extends points with her signature shot, a stretched-out wide [[forehand]], also known as a squash shot. This type of forehand involves hitting the ball with slice to make up for being out of position.{{sfn|Rive|Williams|2018|loc=chpt. 1}} When hitting a squash shot on the run, Clijsters is known for her trademark play of sliding towards the ball and finishing in a split to extend her reach.<ref name="trademark-splits">{{cite web |last1=McDonald |first1=Margie |title=Everyone feels the pain but Kim when she does the splits |url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/tennis/everyone-feels-the-pain-but-kim-when-she-does-the-splits/news-story/ea45e264b140194f914201533994f1ea |website=The Australian |access-date=6 February 2019 | date = 7 January 2012}}</ref> While most players can only slide on clay, Clijsters can slide on any surface. Tennis journalist [[Peter Bodo]] has noted, "Grass and hard courts do not 'permit' sliding unless your name is Kim Clijsters."{{sfn|Bodo|2010|loc=chpt. 5}}

[[File:Kim Clijsters (7898176782) (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|Clijsters hitting a backhand|alt=Clijsters at the 2012 US Open]]
The strengths of Clijsters's game are built around playing aggressively to generate offense without losing control.<ref>{{cite web |title=Wozniacki not at Clijsters' level yet |url=https://www.foxsports.com/tennis/story/caroline-wozniacki-not-at-kim-clijsters-level-yet-110110 |work=Fox Sports |access-date=7 February 2019 | archive-date = 7 February 2019 | url-status=live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190207014539/https://www.foxsports.com/tennis/story/caroline-wozniacki-not-at-kim-clijsters-level-yet-110110 | date = 1 November 2010}}</ref> She excels at hitting both forehand and [[backhand]] winners from the baseline.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Harwitt |first1=Sandra |title=Clijsters Becomes First Unseeded Player to Win Nasdaq-100 Title |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/03/sports/tennis/clijsters-becomes-first-unseeded-player-to-win-nasdaq100.html |website=The New York Times|access-date=7 February 2019 |date=3 April 2005 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180217194533/https://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/03/sports/tennis/clijsters-becomes-first-unseeded-player-to-win-nasdaq100.html |archive-date=17 February 2018}}</ref> Clijsters is regarded as one of the best returners of serve and tries to "take control of the point immediately... to [put herself] in an offensive position from the beginning".{{sfn|Rive|Williams|2018|loc=chpt. 5}} She was aggressive in the middle of points as well. While the squash shot is generally regarded as a defensive shot, Clijsters can turn it into an offensive weapon by placing it well enough to have time to recover into a good court position.{{sfn|Rive|Williams|2018|loc=chpt. 1}} Additionally, she possesses the ability to quickly move in from the baseline to the net, setting herself up to hit winners and finish points. She is adept at hitting swinging [[volley (tennis)|volleys]] on both the forehand and backhand sides because of her solid [[groundstroke]] technique.{{sfn|Rive|Williams|2018|loc=chpt. 7}} Clijsters credits her experience in doubles for improving her net game in singles, saying "it made [her] focus on going to the net more" and helped her "know when to come to the net".<ref name=wta-career-reflection/> Her coach Wim Fissette attributed her success at Grand Slam events after her comeback to being more aggressive than she was before her first retirement.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ubha |first1=Ravi |title=Clijsters solidifies Slam stranglehold |url=http://www.espn.com/sports/tennis/aus11/columns/story?columnist=ubha_ravi&id=6070958 |publisher=ESPN |access-date=7 February 2019 |date=29 January 2011 |url-status=live |archive-date=7 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190207013658/http://www.espn.com/sports/tennis/aus11/columns/story?columnist=ubha_ravi&id=6070958}}</ref>

== Coaches ==
Clijsters worked with Belgian coaches throughout her career. Her first coach was Bart Van Kerckhoven, who she later invited to her championship match at the 2010 US Open.{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=130}} She began her professional career with Carl Maes as her coach. Maes was a student of Benny Vanhoudt who led the Saturday training sessions while Clijsters was also working with Vanhoudt in Diest.{{sfn|van de Winkel|2012|loc=chpt. 1}} He moved to the Flemish Tennis Association Centre in [[Wilrijk]] when Clijsters was 13 years old and invited her to join him. In her first year in Wilrijk, she also worked with Marc De Hous.{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=17}} Maes coached Clijsters from 1996 to May 2002, during which she won the Fed Cup and finished as the runner-up at the 2001 French Open.<ref name=spat>{{cite web |last1=Hodgkinson |first1=Mark |title=Clijsters on top of world on the back of long spat |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/wtatour/2409401/Clijsters-on-top-of-world-on-the-back-of-long-spat.html |website=The Telegraph |access-date=2 February 2019 |date=12 August 2003 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160229071137/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/wtatour/2409401/Clijsters-on-top-of-world-on-the-back-of-long-spat.html |archive-date=29 February 2016}}</ref>

Shortly before the [[2002 US Open (tennis)|2002 US Open]], she hired De Hous as her new coach and continued to work with him through 2005. Under De Hous, Clijsters won two WTA Tour Championships and two Grand Slam doubles titles. They split a week after she won her first Grand Slam singles title at the 2005 US Open. It was reported that De Hous left because he was unhappy with only receiving a $7,500 bonus from her $2.2 million in US Open prize money; however, he denied this was his only financial compensation and attributed his departure to wanting to "take on new challenges" after all of their success in 2005.{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=84}}<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bodo |first1=Peter |title=Kin goes old school |url=http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2005/09/kin-goes-old-school/45124/ |website=Tennis.com |access-date=2 February 2019 |url-status=live |date=30 September 2005 |archive-date=2 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190202221859/http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2005/09/kin-goes-old-school/45124/}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Kim Clijsters et son entraîneur se séparent |url=https://www.lalibre.be/sports/tennis/kim-clijsters-et-son-entraineur-se-separent-51b88b8fe4b0de6db9acadbb |website=La Libre |access-date=2 February 2019 |archive-date=2 February 2019 |url-status=live |language=fr |date=15 September 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190202220209/https://www.lalibre.be/sports/tennis/kim-clijsters-et-son-entraineur-se-separent-51b88b8fe4b0de6db9acadbb |agency=Agence France-Presse}}</ref> Clijsters opted to play without a coach from then until her first retirement.<ref>{{cite web |title=Clijsters says Hewitt can win Open without coach |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-tennis-clijsters/clijsters-says-hewitt-can-win-open-without-coach-idUSSP13701120070107 |publisher=Reuters |access-date=2 February 2019 |archive-date=2 February 2019 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190202225434/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-tennis-clijsters/clijsters-says-hewitt-can-win-open-without-coach-idUSSP13701120070107 |date=21 January 2007}}</ref>

When Clijsters began her comeback in 2009, she hired Wim Fissette to be her coach. Fissette, who is three years older, had trained with Clijsters under Vanhoudt when they were both juniors.{{sfn|van de Winkel|2012|loc=chpt. 1}} He had also served as her hitting partner from 2005 until her first retirement.<ref>{{cite web |title=Wim Fissette |url=http://www.wtag.be/en/wim-fissette/ |publisher=Tennis Academy Genk |access-date=2 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181125112116/http://www.wtag.be/en/wim-fissette/ |archive-date=25 November 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> With Fissette as her coach, Clijsters won three more Grand Slam singles titles and regained the world No. 1 ranking. In June 2011, she rehired Maes as her coach, leading to Fissette's departure several months later.<ref>{{cite web |title=Clijsters re-hires Belgian coach Carl Maes |url=http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2011/06/clijsters-re-hires-belgian-coach-carl-maes/29981/ |website=Tennis.com |access-date=2 February 2019 |date=8 June 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190202223612/http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2011/06/clijsters-re-hires-belgian-coach-carl-maes/29981/ |archive-date=2 February 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Clijsters confirms split with coach Wim Fissette |url=http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2011/09/clijsters-confirms-split-with-coach-wim-fissette/32266/ |website=Tennis.com |access-date=2 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190202223816/http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2011/09/clijsters-confirms-split-with-coach-wim-fissette/32266/ |archive-date=2 February 2019 |date=28 September 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> Clijsters worked with Maes until her second retirement.{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=173}}

In 2020, coinciding with her second comeback, Clijsters announced [[Fred Hemmes Jr.]] as her new coach.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.brusselstimes.com/news/sports/89675/dutchman-fred-hemmes-jr-is-kim-clijsters-new-coach/|title=Dutchman Fred Hemmes Jr named as Kim Clijsters' new coach|date=15 January 2020|website=The Brussels Times|access-date=5 October 2021|archive-date=5 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211005084944/https://www.brusselstimes.com/news/sports/89675/dutchman-fred-hemmes-jr-is-kim-clijsters-new-coach/|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Endorsements==
During her playing career, Clijsters was represented by Belgian company Golazo Sports.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kim Clijsters Management |url=http://www.sport.be/kimclijsters/nl/management/ |website=Kim Clijsters |access-date=3 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924115957/http://www.sport.be/kimclijsters/nl/management/ |archive-date=24 September 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Golazo scoort met Kim Clijsters als uithangbord |trans-title=Golazo scores with Kim Clijsters as a sign |url=http://www.ceo-limburg.be/nieuws-007.cshtml?nav=6 |publisher=Club van Eigenaars-Ondernemers |access-date=3 February 2019 |url-status=live |language=nl |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180910222818/http://ceo-limburg.be/nieuws-007.cshtml?nav=6 |archive-date=10 September 2018}}</ref> [[Babolat]] has sponsored her racquets since 1999, and she specifically has used the Pure Drive model.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kim Clijsters: Welcome Back to the Babolat Team! |url=http://www.tennisindustrymag.com/news/2009/05/kim_clijsters_welcome_back_to.html |website=Tennis Industry Magazine |access-date=3 February 2019 |url-status=live |archive-date=24 January 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180124070542/http://www.tennisindustrymag.com/news/2009/05/kim_clijsters_welcome_back_to.html |date=15 May 2009}}</ref> Fila has been Clijsters's clothing sponsor since 2002. She had previously worn [[Nike, Inc.|Nike]] apparel, but was not under contract.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kaplan |first1=Daniel |title=Fila adds Clijsters to its roster |url=http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2002/05/20020520/This-Weeks-Issue/Fila-Adds-Clijsters-To-Its-Roster.aspx?hl=Nike&sc=0 |website=Sports Business Daily |access-date=3 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180124005844/http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2002/05/20020520/This-Weeks-Issue/Fila-Adds-Clijsters-To-Its-Roster.aspx?hl=Nike&sc=0 |archive-date=24 January 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Fila Extends Agreements with Grand Slam Champions Kim Clijsters and Svetlana Kuznetsova |url=http://www.fila.com/press-releases/01-18-12.html |publisher=Fila |access-date=3 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140908111821/http://www.fila.com/press-releases/01-18-12.html |date=18 January 2012 |archive-date=8 September 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Clijsters is conscious about selecting which products to endorse, saying, "If it's not healthy for kids, for example, I'm not going to endorse a product. I don't want to give the wrong impression. We try to live a healthy lifestyle and if it doesn't match me as a person, I turn it down."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lodge |first1=Michelle |title=U.S. Open Champ Kim Clijsters – Don't Swing at Every Opportunity in Life |url=https://www.thestreet.com/story/14284757/1/u-s-open-champ-kim-clijsters-don-t-swing-at-every-opportunity-in-life.html |newspaper=Thestreet |access-date=3 February 2019 |date=29 August 2017 |archive-date=3 February 2019 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190203002555/https://www.thestreet.com/story/14284757/1/u-s-open-champ-kim-clijsters-don-t-swing-at-every-opportunity-in-life.html}}</ref> She has turned down [[Nutella]] in addition to endorsements that involved her daughter.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Harman |first1=Neil |title=Kim Clijsters proves again that nice girls can win |url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/kim-clijsters-proves-again-that-nice-girls-can-win-9c7fwpg0dxd |website=The Times |access-date=3 February 2019 |url-access=subscription |archive-date=10 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140910221601/http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/sport/tennis/article2723750.ece |date=13 September 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=bloomberg>{{cite news |last1=Rossingh |first1=Danielle |title=Tennis's Kim Clijsters May Sign With Olympic Games Sponsor, Her Agent Says |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-11-05/tennis-s-kim-clijsters-may-sign-with-olympic-games-sponsor-her-agent-says.html |newspaper=Bloomberg.com |date=5 November 2010 |access-date=3 February 2019 |archive-date=8 November 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101108120913/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-11-05/tennis-s-kim-clijsters-may-sign-with-olympic-games-sponsor-her-agent-says.html |url-status=live}}</ref> While on tour, she endorsed banana supplier [[Chiquita Brands International|Chiquita]] and [[United Soft Drinks]], the producer of the AA sports drink.<ref name=bloomberg/> Additionally, she was a brand ambassador for nutrition company [[USANA]] as well as the [[Citizen Watch]] Signature Collection.<ref>{{cite web |title=Clijsters and USANA celebrate in Paris |url=http://www.wtatennis.com/news/article/3137450 |publisher=WTA Tennis |access-date=3 February 2019 |date=8 April 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140914014255/http://www.wtatennis.com/news/article/3137450 |archive-date=14 September 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Fernandez |first1=Anthony |title=Citizen Watch Serves Up Tennis Legend Kim Clijsters An Endorsement |url=http://www.athletepromotions.com/blog/citizen-watch-serves-up-tennis-legend-kim-clijsters-an-endorsement/769/ |website=Athlete Promotions |access-date=3 February 2019 |archive-date=12 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180712223653/http://www.athletepromotions.com/blog/citizen-watch-serves-up-tennis-legend-kim-clijsters-an-endorsement/769/ |date=23 July 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref> She also had endorsement deals with Belgian telecommunications company [[Telenet (Belgium)|Telenet]], personnel services firm [[The Adecco Group|Adecco]], and the travel services company [[Thomas Cook Group]].<ref name=bloomberg/>

Since Clijsters's retirement, [[Van Lanschot]] banking helps sponsor the Kim Clijsters Academy.<ref>{{cite web |title=Fier sponsor de 3 légendes du tennis |trans-title=Proud sponsor of 3 legends of tennis |url=https://www.vanlanschot.be/fr-be/a-propos-de-van-lanschot/parrainages/tennis |publisher=Van Lanschot |access-date=3 February 2019 |url-status=live |archive-date=3 February 2019 |language=nl |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190203005737/https://www.vanlanschot.be/fr-be/a-propos-de-van-lanschot/parrainages/tennis}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Clijsters is married to [[Brian Lynch (basketball)|Brian Lynch]], an American basketball coach and former player. The two met while Lynch was a member of [[Bree B.B.C.|Euphony Bree]], and initially bonded over both having pet bulldogs. They became a couple in 2005 and married in 2007.{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=109}} They have three children: a daughter Jada (born 2008), and two sons Jack (born 2013) and Blake (born 2016). The family splits their time living in Bree and [[New Jersey]].<ref name="nyt-hof-reflection">{{cite web |last1=Shmerler |first1=Cindy |title=Kim Clijsters Reflects on Career Ahead of Hall of Fame Induction |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/21/sports/tennis/kim-clijsters-reflects-on-career-ahead-of-hall-of-fame-induction.html |website=The New York Times|access-date=27 January 2019 | date = 21 July 2017 | archive-date = 15 January 2019 | url-status=live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190115111337/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/21/sports/tennis/kim-clijsters-reflects-on-career-ahead-of-hall-of-fame-induction.html}}</ref>

Clijsters's sister [[Elke Clijsters|Elke]], who is younger by a year and a half, was also a promising tennis player. Like Kim, Elke won two junior Grand Slam doubles titles.<ref>{{cite web |title=Elke Clijsters |url=https://www.itftennis.com/juniors/players/player/profile.aspx?playerid=35013397 |publisher=ITF Tennis |access-date=27 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190127154402/https://www.itftennis.com/juniors/players/player/profile.aspx?playerid=35013397 |archive-date=27 January 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> She was also the [[ITF World Champions|ITF World Junior Doubles Champion]] in 2002.<ref>{{cite web |title=World Champions: Juniors |url=https://www.itftennis.com/about/world-champions/juniors.aspx |publisher=ITF Tennis |access-date=27 January 2019 | url-status=live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180625021624/https://www.itftennis.com/about/world-champions/juniors.aspx | archive-date = 25 June 2018}}</ref> On the professional tour, she achieved a top 400 ranking in singles and a top 250 ranking in doubles.<ref name="itf-profile-elke">{{cite web |title=Elke Clijsters |url=https://www.itftennis.com/procircuit/players/player/profile.aspx?playerid=35013397 |publisher=ITF Tennis |access-date=27 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190127205635/https://www.itftennis.com/procircuit/players/player/profile.aspx?playerid=35013397 |archive-date=27 January 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> Kim and Elke entered one doubles tournament together on the WTA Tour at the 2004 Diamond Games in Antwerp. They won their opening match against [[Selima Sfar]] and [[Caroline Vis]] before losing to the second-seeded team of [[Émilie Loit]] and [[Petra Mandula]] in the next round.<ref name=itf-profile/> Elke retired in 2004 at age 19 due to persistent back problems.<ref>{{cite web |title=Elke Clijsters met fin à sa carrière |url=https://www.lalibre.be/sports/tennis/elke-clijsters-met-fin-a-sa-carriere-51b8846ae4b0de6db9aa6e19 |website=La Libre |access-date=27 January 2019 | language = fr | url-status=live | date = 15 June 2004 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140424192207/https://www.lalibre.be/sports/tennis/elke-clijsters-met-fin-a-sa-carriere-51b8846ae4b0de6db9aa6e19 | archive-date = 24 April 2014}}</ref>

Early in her career, she was in a long-term relationship with Australian tennis player [[Lleyton Hewitt]]. They met at the 2000 Australian Open and were engaged before mutually ending their relationship in late 2004.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hewitt and Clijsters reveal split |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/3345341.stm |publisher=BBC |access-date=27 January 2019 | date = 22 October 2004 | url-status=live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110628035621/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/3345341.stm | archive-date = 28 June 2011}}</ref> The pair entered the mixed doubles event at Wimbledon in 2000, losing in the final.{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=25}} Their relationship earned Clijsters the nickname "Aussie Kim" and made her popular among Australian tennis fans even after they separated. When Clijsters won the 2011 Australian Open, she believed she earned her nickname, saying, "Now you can finally call me Aussie Kim".{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=147}}

Clijsters's childhood tennis idol was Steffi Graf.<ref name=us-open-hof/> She cites her lone WTA Tour match against Graf at Wimbledon in 1999 as being very influential, saying, "It was unbelievable. All I wanted to do was watch her. I wanted to see how she tied her shoelaces, what her ponytail looked like, how she carried her bag. Even though I lost, the impact of that and the motivation it gave me was huge. It was definitely the biggest moment of my career".<ref name="nyt-hof-reflection"/> She also looked up to Monica Seles and viewed both Graf and Seles as role models, drawing inspiration from their level of focus.<ref name=us-open-hof/><ref name="wta-career-reflection">{{cite web |last1=Nguyen |first1=Courtney |title=Kim Clijsters reflects on Hall of Fame career |url=https://www.wtatennis.com/news/kim-clijsters-reflects-international-tennis-hall-of-fame-career-wta-insider-interview |publisher=WTA Tennis |access-date=29 January 2019 | date = 22 July 2017 | url-status=live | archive-date = 6 October 2017 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171006025725/http://www.wtatennis.com/news/kim-clijsters-reflects-international-tennis-hall-of-fame-career-wta-insider-interview}}</ref>

Clijsters is involved with multiple organizations that help children. She has served as an ambassador for [[SOS Children's Villages]] since 2010.<ref>{{cite web |last1=McGrogan |first1=Ed |title=50 Years, 50 Heroes: 2006, Kim Clijsters |url=http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2018/12/50-years-50-heroes-2006-kim-clijsters/78067/ |website=Tennis.com |access-date=20 March 2019 |date=20 December 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190320070429/http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2018/12/50-years-50-heroes-2006-kim-clijsters/78067/ |archive-date=20 March 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Kim Clijsters and Vincent Kompany team up for children |date=17 December 2012 |url=https://www.soschildrensvillages.ca/kim-clijsters-and-vincent-kompany-team-children |publisher=SOS Children's Villages |access-date=20 March 2019 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160429050958/http://www.soschildrensvillages.ca/kim-clijsters-and-vincent-kompany-team-children |archive-date=29 April 2016}}</ref> Clijsters founded Ten4Kim, a nonprofit that funds junior tennis players who cannot afford the costs associated with training at a high level.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kim Clijsters wants to fund training for rising tennis stars |url=http://www.brusselstimes.com/sports2/4110/kim-clijsters-wants-to-fund-training-for-rising-tennis-stars |website=The Brussels Times |access-date=20 March 2019 |archive-date=20 March 2019 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190320070759/http://www.brusselstimes.com/sports2/4110/kim-clijsters-wants-to-fund-training-for-rising-tennis-stars |date=19 September 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Ten4Kim |url=https://www.kimclijsters.com/ten4kim |website=Kim Clijsters |access-date=20 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190320070637/https://www.kimclijsters.com/ten4kim |archive-date=20 March 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref>

While Clijsters retired, she served as a part-time coach to several players, including Elise Mertens and [[Yanina Wickmayer]]. She also occasionally was a commentator at the Grand Slam tournaments, working for the [[BBC]] and [[Fox Sports (Australia)|Fox Sports Australia]] at Wimbledon and for [[Seven Network|Channel 7]] at the Australian Open.<ref>{{cite web |title=Clijsters: "Een comeback? Ik ben blij dat ik af en toe gewoon thuis kan zijn" |trans-title=Clijsters: "A comeback? I am happy that I can sometimes be home" |language=nl |url=http://sporza.be/cm/sporza/tennis/Wimbledon/1.3023018 |website=Sporza |access-date=20 March 2019 |archive-date=6 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180506025054/http://sporza.be/cm/sporza/tennis/Wimbledon/1.3023018 |date=12 July 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>

== Career statistics ==
{{Main|Kim Clijsters career statistics}}

===Grand Slam performance timelines===
{{performance key|short=yes|active=no}}

====Singles====
{| class=wikitable nowrap style="text-align:center"
|-
!Tournament!![[1999 WTA Tour|1999]]!![[2000 WTA Tour|2000]]!![[2001 WTA Tour|2001]]!![[2002 WTA Tour|2002]]!![[2003 WTA Tour|2003]]!![[2004 WTA Tour|2004]]!![[2005 WTA Tour|2005]]!![[2006 WTA Tour|2006]]!![[2007 WTA Tour|2007]]!![[2008 WTA Tour|2008]]!![[2009 WTA Tour|2009]]!![[2010 WTA Tour|2010]]!![[2011 WTA Tour|2011]]!![[2012 WTA Tour|2012]]!!/!![[2020 WTA Tour|2020]]!![[2021 WTA Tour|2021]]!!SR!!W–L!!Win %
|-
|style=text-align:left|[[Australian Open]]
|A
|style=background:#afeeee|[[2000 Australian Open – Women's singles|1R]]
|style=background:#afeeee|[[2001 Australian Open – Women's singles|4R]]
|style=background:yellow|[[2002 Australian Open – Women's singles|SF]]
|style=background:yellow|[[2003 Australian Open – Women's singles|SF]]
|style=background:thistle|[[2004 Australian Open – Women's singles|F]]
|A
|style=background:yellow|[[2006 Australian Open – Women's singles|SF]]
|style=background:yellow|[[2007 Australian Open – Women's singles|SF]]
|A
|A
|style=background:#afeeee|[[2010 Australian Open – Women's singles|3R]]
|bgcolor=lime|'''[[2011 Australian Open – Women's singles|W]]'''
|style=background:yellow|[[2012 Australian Open – Women's singles|SF]]
|rowspan=4|
|A
|A
|1 / 10
|43–9
|{{tennis win percentage|won=43|lost=9|integer=yes}}
|-
|style=text-align:left|[[French Open]]
|A
|style=background:#afeeee|[[2000 French Open – Women's singles|1R]]
|style=background:thistle|[[2001 French Open – Women's singles|F]]
|style=background:#afeeee|[[2002 French Open – Women's singles|3R]]
|style=background:thistle|[[2003 French Open – Women's singles|F]]
|A
|style=background:#afeeee|[[2005 French Open – Women's singles|4R]]
|style=background:yellow|[[2006 French Open – Women's singles|SF]]
|A
|A
|A
|A
|style=background:#afeeee|[[2011 French Open – Women's singles|2R]]
|A
|A
|A
|0 / 7
|23–7
|{{tennis win percentage|won=23|lost=7|integer=yes}}
|-
|style=text-align:left|[[Wimbledon Championships|Wimbledon]]
|style=background:#afeeee|[[1999 Wimbledon Championships – Women's singles|4R]]
|style=background:#afeeee|[[2000 Wimbledon Championships – Women's singles|2R]]
|style=background:#ffebcd|[[2001 Wimbledon Championships – Women's singles|QF]]
|style=background:#afeeee|[[2002 Wimbledon Championships – Women's singles|2R]]
|style=background:yellow|[[2003 Wimbledon Championships – Women's singles|SF]]
|A
|style=background:#afeeee|[[2005 Wimbledon Championships – Women's singles|4R]]
|style=background:yellow|[[2006 Wimbledon Championships – Women's singles|SF]]
|A
|A
|A
|style=background:#ffebcd|[[2010 Wimbledon Championships – Women's singles|QF]]
|A
|style=background:#afeeee|[[2012 Wimbledon Championships – Women's singles|4R]]
|style=color:#767676|NH
|A
|0 / 9
|28–9
|{{tennis win percentage|won=28|lost=9|integer=yes}}
|-
|style=text-align:left|[[US Open (tennis)|US Open]]
|style=background:#afeeee|[[1999 US Open – Women's singles|3R]]
|style=background:#afeeee|[[2000 US Open – Women's singles|2R]]
|style=background:#ffebcd|[[2001 US Open – Women's singles|QF]]
|style=background:#afeeee|[[2002 US Open – Women's singles|4R]]
|style=background:thistle|[[2003 US Open – Women's singles|F]]
|A
|bgcolor=lime|'''[[2005 US Open – Women's singles|W]]'''
|A
|A
|A
|bgcolor=lime|[[2009 US Open – Women's singles|'''W''']]
|bgcolor=lime|[[2010 US Open – Women's singles|'''W''']]
|A
|style=background:#afeeee|[[2012 US Open – Women's singles|2R]]
|style=background:#afeeee|[[2020 US Open – Women's singles|1R]]
|A
|3 / 10
|38–7
|{{tennis win percentage|won=38|lost=7|integer=yes}}
|- style=font-weight:bold;background:#efefef
|style=text-align:left|Win–loss
|5–2
|2–4
|17–4
|11–4
|22–4
|6–1
|13–2
|14–3
|5–1
|0–0
|7–0
|13–2
|8–1
|9–3
|
|0–1
|0–0
|4 / 36
|132–32
||{{tennis win percentage|won=132|lost=32|integer=yes}}
|}

====Doubles====

{| class=wikitable style="text-align:center"
!Tournament!![[2000 WTA Tour|2000]]!![[2001 WTA Tour|2001]]!![[2002 WTA Tour|2002]]!![[2003 WTA Tour|2003]]!!2004–11!![[2012 WTA Tour|2012]]!!SR!!W–L!!Win %
|-
|align=left|[[Australian Open]]
|bgcolor=afeeee|[[2000 Australian Open – Women's doubles|1R]]
|bgcolor=afeeee|[[2001 Australian Open – Women's doubles|3R]]
|bgcolor=afeeee|[[2002 Australian Open – Women's doubles|3R]]
|bgcolor=ffebcd|[[2003 Australian Open – Women's doubles|QF]]
|A
|A
|0 / 4
|7–4
|{{tennis win percentage|won=7|lost=4|integer=yes}}
|-
|align=left|[[French Open]]
|bgcolor=afeeee|[[2000 French Open – Women's doubles|1R]]
|bgcolor=afeeee|[[2001 French Open – Women's doubles|3R]]
|A
|bgcolor=lime|[[2003 French Open – Women's doubles|'''W''']]
|A
|A
|1 / 3
|8–2
|{{tennis win percentage|won=8|lost=2|integer=yes}}
|-
|align=left|[[Wimbledon Championships|Wimbledon]]
|bgcolor=afeeee|[[2000 Wimbledon Championships – Women's doubles|2R]]
|bgcolor=thistle|[[2001 Wimbledon Championships – Women's doubles|F]]
|A
|bgcolor=lime|[[2003 Wimbledon Championships – Women's doubles|'''W''']]
|A
|A
|1 / 3
|12–2
|{{tennis win percentage|won=12|lost=2|integer=yes}}
|-
|align=left|[[US Open (tennis)|US Open]]
|bgcolor=afeeee|[[2000 US Open – Women's doubles|3R]]
|A
|bgcolor=ffebcd|[[2002 US Open – Women's doubles|QF]]
|bgcolor=afeeee|[[2003 US Open – Women's doubles|2R]]
|A
|bgcolor=afeeee|[[2012 US Open – Women's doubles|1R]]
|0 / 4
|6–4
|{{tennis win percentage|won=6|lost=4|integer=yes}}
|- style="font-weight:bold; background:#efefef;"
|style=text-align:left|Win–loss
|3–4
|9–3
|5–2
|16–2
|0–0
|0–1
|2 / 14
|33–12
|{{tennis win percentage|won=33|lost=12|integer=yes}}
|}

===Grand Slam tournament finals===

====Singles: 8 (4 titles, 4 runner-ups)====
{|class="sortable wikitable"
!Result
!Year
!style="width:110px"|Championship
!Surface
!style="width:160px"|Opponent
!style="width:120px" class="unsortable"|Score
|-
| style="background:#ffa07a;"|Loss
|[[2001 French Open – Women's singles|2001]]
|style="background:#ebc2af;"|[[French Open]]
|Clay
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Jennifer Capriati]]
|6–1, 4–6, 10–12
|-
| style="background:#ffa07a;"|Loss
|[[2003 French Open – Women's singles|2003]]
|style="background:#ebc2af;"|French Open
|Clay
|{{flagicon|BEL}} [[Justine Henin]]
|0–6, 4–6
|-
| style="background:#ffa07a;"|Loss
|[[2003 US Open – Women's singles|2003]]
|style="background:#ccf;"|[[US Open (tennis)|US Open]]
|Hard
|{{flagicon|BEL}} Justine Henin
|5–7, 1–6
|-
| style="background:#ffa07a;"|Loss
|[[2004 Australian Open – Women's singles|2004]]
|style="background:#ffc;"|[[Australian Open]]
|Hard
|{{flagicon|BEL}} Justine Henin
|3–6, 6–4, 3–6
|-
|style="background:#98fb98;"|Win
|[[2005 US Open – Women's singles|2005]]
|style="background:#ccf;"|US Open
|Hard
|{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Mary Pierce]]
|6–3, 6–1
|-
|style="background:#98fb98;"|Win
|[[2009 US Open – Women's singles|2009]]
|style="background:#ccf;"|US Open <small>(2)</small>
|Hard
|{{flagicon|DEN}} [[Caroline Wozniacki]]
|7–5, 6–3
|-
| style="background:#98fb98;"|Win
|[[2010 US Open – Women's singles|2010]]
|style="background:#ccf;"|US Open <small>(3)</small>
|Hard
|{{flagicon|RUS}} [[Vera Zvonareva]]
|6–2, 6–1
|-
| style="background:#98fb98;"|Win
|[[2011 Australian Open – Women's singles|2011]]
|style="background:#ffc;"|Australian Open
|Hard
|{{flagicon|CHN}} [[Li Na]]
|3–6, 6–3, 6–3
|}

====Doubles: 3 (2 titles, 1 runner-up)====
{|class="sortable wikitable"
!Result
!Year
!style="width:110px"|Championship
!Surface
!style="width:160px"|Partner
!style="width:160px"|Opponents
!style="width:120px" class="unsortable"|Score
|-
| style="background:#ffa07a;"|Loss
|[[2001 Wimbledon Championships – Women's doubles|2001]]
|style="background:#cfc;"|[[The Championships, Wimbledon|Wimbledon]]
|Grass
|{{flagicon|JPN}} [[Ai Sugiyama]]
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Lisa Raymond]]<br />{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Rennae Stubbs]]
|4–6, 3–6
|-
| style="background:#98fb98;"|Win
|[[2003 French Open – Women's doubles|2003]]
|style="background:#ebc2af;"|[[French Open]]
|Clay
|{{flagicon|JPN}} Ai Sugiyama
|{{flagicon|ESP}} [[Virginia Ruano Pascual]]<br />{{flagicon|ARG}} [[Paola Suárez]]
|6–7<sup>(5–7)</sup>, 6–2, 9–7
|-
| style="background:#98fb98;"|Win
|[[2003 Wimbledon Championships – Women's doubles|2003]]
|style="background:#cfc;"|Wimbledon
|Grass
|{{flagicon|JPN}} Ai Sugiyama
|{{flagicon|ESP}} Virginia Ruano Pascual<br />{{flagicon|ARG}} Paola Suárez
|6–4, 6–4
|}

====Mixed doubles: 1 (1 runner-up)====
{|class="sortable wikitable"
!Result
!Year
!style="width:110px"|Tournament
!Surface
!style="width:160px"|Partner
!style="width:160px"|Opponents
!style="width:120px" class="unsortable"|Score
|-
| style="background:#ffa07a;"|Loss
|[[2000 Wimbledon Championships – Mixed doubles|2000]]
|style="background:#cfc;"|[[2000 Wimbledon Championships|Wimbledon]]
|Grass
|{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Lleyton Hewitt]]
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Kimberly Po]]<br />{{flagicon|USA}} [[Donald Johnson]]
|4–6, 6–7<sup>(3–7)</sup>
|}

<small>Sources: ITF profile<ref name=itf-profile/> and WTA profile<ref name="wta-profile">{{cite web |title=Kim Clijsters |work=WTA Tennis |date=8 April 2017 |url=https://www.wtatennis.com/players/player/30458/title/Kim-CLIJSTERS |access-date=14 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190402171344/https://www.wtatennis.com/players/player/30458/title/Kim-CLIJSTERS |archive-date=2 April 2019 |url-status=live |author1=Admin }}</ref></small>

==Awards==

'''ITF awards'''
* [[ITF World Champion|World Champion]]: 2005{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=189}}

'''WTA awards'''
* [[WTA Awards#Newcomer of the Year|Newcomer of the Year]]: 1999{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=189}}
* [[WTA Awards#Karen Krantzcke Sportsmanship Award|Karen Krantzcke Sportsmanship Award]]: 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2012{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=189}}
* [[WTA Awards#Peachy Kellmeyer Player Service|Peachy Kellmeyer Player Service Award]]: 2003, 2006, 2010{{sfn|van de Winkel|2012|loc=appendix}}
* [[WTA Awards#Comeback Player of the Year|Comeback Player of the Year]]: 2005, 2009{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=189}}
* [[WTA Awards#Player of the Year|Player of the Year]]: 2005, 2010{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=189}}
* [[WTA Awards#Humanitarian of the Year|Humanitarian of the Year]]: 2006{{sfn|van de Winkel|2012|loc=appendix}}

'''National awards'''
* [[Belgian Sportsman of the Year|Belgian Promising Youngster of the Year]] (''Beloftevolle Jongere van het Jaar''): 1998{{sfn|van de Winkel|2012|loc=appendix}}
* [[Belgian Sportsman of the year|Belgian Sportswoman of the Year]]: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2011{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=189}}
* [[Vlaamse Reus]]: 2000, 2001, 2010{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=189}}
* [[Flemish Sportsjewel]] (''Vlaams Sportjuweel''): 2001{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=189}}
* [[Belgian National Sports Merit Award]]: 2001 (with Henin){{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=189}}
* [[Belgian Sports Personality of the Year]]: 2003{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=189}}
* Grand Cross of the [[Order of the Crown (Belgium)|Order of the Crown]], by Royal Decree of [[Albert II of Belgium|King Albert II]] (''Grootkruis in de Kroonorde''): 2003 (with Henin){{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=189}}
* Belgian Sporting Team of the Year: 2006 (with Fed Cup team members Butkiewicz, Flipkens, Henin, and Caroline Maes){{sfn|van de Winkel|2012|loc=appendix}}

'''International awards'''
* [[Laureus World Sports Award for Comeback of the Year]]: 2010{{sfn|Dewulf|de Jong|2013|p=189}}
* [[International Tennis Hall of Fame]] inductee: 2017<ref name=tennis-hof/>

== See also ==
{{Portal bar|Tennis|Biography|Belgium|Sports|Olympics}}
* [[List of Grand Slam women's singles champions]]
* [[List of Grand Slam women's doubles champions]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

===Books===
* {{cite book |last1 = Bodo | first1 = Peter | year=2010 | title = The Clay Ran Red: Roger Federer vs. Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros | publisher = Diversion | isbn = 978-0984515134 }}
* {{cite book |last1 = Dewulf | first1 = Filip | last2 = de Jong | first2 = Wilfried | year=2013 | title = Kim Clijsters: First and Only Official Career Overview | publisher = Cannibal Publishing | isbn = 978-9491376580 }}
* {{cite book |last1 = Rive | first1 = Joey | last2 = Williams | first2 = Scott C. | year= 2018 | title = Tennis Skills & Drills | publisher = Human Kinetics | isbn = 978-0736083089 }}
* {{cite book |last1 = van de Winkel | first1 = Frank | year= 2012 | title = Kim Clijsters: De Biographie | publisher = Spectrum | isbn = 978-9000306404 |language = nl}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Kim Clijsters}}
* {{official website|http://www.kimclijsters.com}}
* {{WTA}}
* {{ITF}}
* {{Fed Cup player}}

{{Navboxes
|title=Articles and topics related to Kim Clijsters
|state=collapsed
|list1=
{{Navboxes
|title=Kim Clijsters (Achievement predecessor & successor)
|state=autocollapse
|list1=<div>
{{s-start}}
{{s-sports}}
{{s-bef|before = {{flagicon|USA}} [[Serena Williams]]<br>{{flagicon|BEL}} Justine Henin<br>{{flagicon|USA}} [[Lindsay Davenport]]<br>{{flagicon|DEN}} [[Caroline Wozniacki]]}}
{{s-ttl|title = [[List of WTA number 1 ranked singles tennis players|World No. 1]]|years =  11 August 2003 –  19 October 2003<br>27 October  2003 – 9  November 2003<br>30 January  2006 – 19  March 2006<br>14 February  2011 – 20 February  2011}}
{{s-aft|after = {{flagicon|BEL}} [[Justine Henin]]<br>{{flagicon|BEL}} Justine Henin<br>{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Amélie Mauresmo]]<br>{{flagicon|DEN}} Caroline Wozniacki}}
{{s-ach}}

{{s-bef|before = {{flagicon|USA}} [[Serena Williams]]}} 
{{s-ttl|title = [[WTA Awards|WTA Newcomer of the Year]]|years = 1999}} 
{{s-aft|after = {{flagicon|CZE}} [[Dája Bedáňová]]}}

{{s-bef|before = {{flagicon|JPN}} [[Ai Sugiyama]]<br>{{flagicon|USA}} Lindsay Davenport<br>{{flagicon|CZE}} [[Petra Kvitová]]}} 
{{s-ttl|title = [[WTA Awards#Karen Krantczke Sportsmanship Award|Karen Krantczke Sportsmanship Award]]|years = 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003<br>2005, 2006<br>2012}} 
{{s-aft|after = {{flagicon|USA}} Lindsay Davenport<br>{{flagicon|SRB}} [[Ana Ivanovic]]<br>{{flagicon|CZE}} Petra Kvitová}}

{{s-bef|before = {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Nicole Pratt]] <br> {{flagicon|USA}} [[Liezel Huber]] <br> {{flagicon|USA}} Liezel Huber}} 
{{s-ttl|title = [[WTA Awards|WTA Player Service]]|years = 2003<br>2006<br>2010}} 
{{s-aft|after =  {{flagicon|AUS}} Nicole Pratt <br> {{flagicon|USA}} Liezel Huber <br> {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Francesca Schiavone]]}}

{{s-bef|before = [[Marc Herremans]]}} 
{{s-ttl|title = [[Belgian Sports Personality of the Year]]|years = 2003}} 
{{s-aft|after =  [[Kim Gevaert]]}}

{{s-bef|before = {{flagicon|RUS}} [[Maria Sharapova]]<br>{{flagicon|USA}} Serena Williams}} 
{{s-ttl|title = [[WTA Awards|WTA Player of the Year]]|years = 2005<br>2010}} 
{{s-aft|after =  {{flagicon|FRA}} Amélie Mauresmo<br>{{flagicon|CZE}} Petra Kvitová}}

{{s-bef|before = {{flagicon|USA}} Serena Williams<br>{{flagicon|CHN}} [[Zheng Jie]]}} 
{{s-ttl|title = [[WTA Awards|WTA Comeback Player of the Year]]|years = 2005<br>2009}} 
{{s-aft|after = {{flagicon|SUI}} [[Martina Hingis]]<br>{{flagicon|BEL}} Justine Henin}}

{{s-bef|before = {{flagicon|RUS}} [[Anastasia Myskina]]}} 
{{s-ttl|title = [[International Tennis Federation#Women.27s singles|ITF World Champion]]|years = 2005}} 
{{s-aft|after = {{flagicon|BEL}} Justine Henin}}

{{s-bef|before = {{flagicon|USA}} [[Lindsay Davenport]]}} 
{{s-ttl|title = [[US Open Series|US Open Series Winner]]|years = 2005}} 
{{s-aft|after =  {{flagicon|SRB}} [[Ana Ivanovic]]}}

{{s-bef|before= {{flagicon|UKR}} [[Vitali Klitschko]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Laureus World Sports Award for Comeback of the Year]]|years=2010}}
{{s-aft|after= {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Valentino Rossi]]}}

{{s-end}}
</div>
}}{{Belgian Sportsperson of the Year}}
{{Belgian National Sports Merit Award}}
{{Flemish Sportsjewel}}
{{Laureus World Sports Award for Comeback of the Year}}
{{ESPY Comeback Athlete}}
{{navboxes|title=Kim Clijsters in the [[Grand Slam (tennis)|Grand Slam tournaments]]
|list1=
{{Australian Open women's singles champions}}
{{US Open women's singles champions}}
{{French Open women's doubles champions}}
{{Wimbledon women's doubles champions}}
{{French Open girls' doubles champions}}
{{US Open girls' doubles champions}}
}}
{{navboxes|title=Kim Clijsters [[Kim Clijsters career statistics|Achievements]]
|list1=
{{Tennis World Number Ones (women)}}
{{WTA World No.1 doubles players}}
{{WTA Year-End Championship winners}}
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{{International Tennis Hall of Fame members}}
}}
{{Authority control}}

{{featured article}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Clijsters, Kim}}
[[Category:1983 births]]
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[[Category:Australian Open (tennis) champions]]
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[[Category:French Open champions]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Bilzen]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Wall Township, New Jersey]]
[[Category:US Open (tennis) champions]]
[[Category:Wimbledon champions]]
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<!-- Orders and honours -->
[[Category:Grand Crosses of the Order of the Crown (Belgium)]]
[[Category:Tennis players at the 2012 Summer Olympics]]
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[[Category:Grand Slam (tennis) champions in women's singles]]
[[Category:Grand Slam (tennis) champions in women's doubles]]
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