Former world No. 1 Kim Clijsters is ready to return to professional tennis in three months time after playing last back in 2020 on the WTA Tour.
The 36-year old Belgian has confirmed she’s ready to make her return in March 2020. She wanted it to happen at the beginning of the year, but a knee injury postponed her plans.
“In early November, Kim Clijsters sustained a severe tear in her right MCL during a game of padel,” a press release from Clijsters’ team reads.
“Official diagnosis: grade 2-3 sprain of the medial collateral ligament (MCL). No surgery was required; Kim has been undergoing treatment and rehabilitation under the supervision of Sam Verslegers of Groep Sam at the Kim Clijsters Academy in Bree (Belgium). Given the positive progress, she has returned to the tennis courts and practice schedule last week.”
Kim Clijsters: one of the all-time greats
Clijsters has won 41 WTA titles in her career so far and spent a total of 20 weeks as world No.1. She was inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame in 2017 and is the only player in history to defeat both Serena and Venus Williams at the same event twice.
“I’ve had a really good last couple of weeks regarding my knee. It’s feeling much better, but not fully healed yet,” she said on Twitter.
“I’m definitely building up my intensity in practice and it feels really good so I am looking forward to playing my first tournament. Practice has been long enough, but I have to be patient for a few more weeks and then I will be ready to go.”
Clijsters is scheduled to return to the court on March 2 in the Monterrey Open. A week later, she’ll compete at the Indian Wells before playing in the Charleston Open on April 6.
