Kim Clijsters

Clijsters at the 2010 US Open.

Kim Antonie Lode Clijsters (Template:IPA-nl; born 8 June 1983) is a Belgian professional tennis player. As o 30 Januar 2012, Clijsters is ranked no. 30 in singles. Clijsters is a umwhile warld no. 1 in baith singles an doubles.

Clijsters haes wan 41 WTA singles titles an 11 WTA doubles titles. She haes wan fower Grand Slam singles titles: three at the US Open, in 2005, 2009, an 2010 an ane at the Australian Open in 2011. She haes been runner-up in fower Grand Slam singles tournaments, an wan the WTA Tour Championships singles title in 2002, 2003, an 2010 an aw. In doubles, she wan the French Open an Wimbledon titles in 2003. Clijsters annooncit her retirement wi immediate effect on 6 Mey 2007, but amaist two years later, on 26 March 2009, she publicly declared her intent to return to the WTA tour for the 2009 summer hard court season. In anerlie her third tournament back, she wan her seicont US Open title, becomin the first unseedit player an wildcard tae win the tournament, an the first mither tae win a major syne Evonne Goolagong in 1980.

In Juin 2011, TIME magazine namit her ane o the "30 Legends of Women's Tennis: Past, Present and Future". According to Forbes in August 2011, she became the fift heichest-paid female athlete ower the past year.

Playin style

Clijsters is recognizit for her deep, pouerful an well-placit groundstrokes. She can hit ootricht winners frae baith wings an frae ony pairt o the court. Her forehaund is ane o the best an maist pouerful the weemen's game haes iver seen, yet occasionally erratic an prone tae unforcit errors; her backhand is mair reliable an consistent, an can be hit wi hivy slice as a defensive shot. Clijsters is an aw recognised for her aw-court defence, characterized by speed and athleticism. Clijsters, alang with Jelena Janković an Svetlana Kuznetsova, is amang the few tennis players on either the Association of Tennis Professionals or Women's Tennis Association tours who can slide (or "straddle") on aw surfaces. Maria Sharapova, interviewed after losing to Clijsters in the 2005 Nasdaq-100 Open, said, "You just have to expect that she's going to get every ball back". Her first serve, while no owerwhelmin, is placit well an earns aces an unreturnables. Clijsters tends tae rush atween first an seicont serves, which mey contribute tae her occasional matches wi heich numbers o double faults. A umwhile Warld No. 1 player in doubles, Clijsters haes exceptional volleys; she haes nae problem switching frae baseline tae feenishin points at the net wi a volley or ower-heid. Her mental fragility wis considered her biggest weakness, an at the earlier stages o her career she wis considered a "choker", aften surrenderin big leads in the latter roonds o Grand Slams. Syne winnin the 2005 US Open, Clijsters haes gained mair control ower her nerves an syne her return tae the tour in 2009 she haes been kent, alang wi Serena Williams an Maria Sharapova, as amang the toughest players tae beat mentally. She is nou seen as capable o risin tae the occasion an playin her best tennis at the important stages o matches. Clijsters is considered tae be ane o the maist popular players on the tour an aw, kent for her grace on the court an even temper. She haes been votit the WTA Karen Krantzcke Sportsmanship Award bi her fellae players seiven times an the WTA Player Service Award three times.