Perhaps inspired by the success of comeback by tennis mom Lindsay Davenport, 2005 U.S. Open champion and former world No. 1 Kim Clijsters is reportedly training in Belgium and considering a comeback on the WTA Tour. According to media sources in Belgium, Clijsters is considering a comeback – training in secret and may announce that she will again play on the WTA Tour. Clijsters retired from professional tennis last spring and shortly thereafter married American Brian Lynch. On February 27 of this year, she gave birth to daughter Jada Ellie Lynch. Davenport, another former world No. 1, returned to the WTA Tour last fall after giving birth to a son, Jagger, on June 10, 2007.
Clijsters won 34 WTA Tour singles titles, including the 2005 US Open (her only major singles title), where she beat Mary Pierce in the final. Her win at the US Open earned her a record payday of $2.2 million by the USTA (double the prize money of $1.1 million) by virtue of her also winning the US Open Series – the series of U.S. hard court tournaments leading into the US Open.
Belgian tennis took a major hit with the recent retirement this spring of Justine Henin.
