(FILA Luxembourg S.à r.l.) - FILA Ambassador Kim Clijsters announced today that she plans to return to professional tennis in 2020. Clijsters, who is a former World No. 1 in both singles and doubles, as well as a four-time Grand Slam Champion, last played on Tour in 2012 and has spent the past seven years as a full-time mother to her three children – Jada (born 2008), Jack (born 2013) and Blake (born 2016).
In an exclusive interview with WTA Insider on Thursday, Clijsters said, “I don't feel like I need to prove anything, but I want to challenge myself and I want to be strong again. This is my marathon. This is where I'm saying OK, let's try this."
Clijsters won her first Grand Slam title at the 2005 US Open, before stepping away from the game in May 2007 and giving birth to her daughter the following year. The Belgian made a triumphant return to the Tour in July 2009 and went on to win an additional three Grand Slams (US Open 2009, 2010; Australian Open 2011) and ascend to the No. 1 world ranking in February 2011. With her 2009 victory at Flushing Meadows, Clijsters became the first unseeded player and wild card to win the US Open, as well as the first mother to win a Grand Slam since Evonne Goolagong-Cawley in 1980. Clijsters retired from the game at age 29 in 2012 with 41 career singles titles and 11 career doubles titles.