Hall of Fame Live with Kim Clijsters
Class of 2017 Hall of Famer Kim Clijsters had a big year planned for 2020, one that would see her come out of retirement and return to action on to the WTA Tour. The four-time Grand Slam singles champion got two matches in to the delight of fans around the world, before things got cut short by COVID-19.
Training sessions quickly turned into at home school sessions with her kids, and just like so many around the world, Clijsters is adapting and making the most of her time at home. She sat down with Blair Henley to talk about her tennis past, her day-to-day of the present, and future plans in this week’s Hall of Fame LIVE!
Read on to find out three things we learned about Kim in this week's chat.
1. Her favorite FILA kits for the court had meaningful inspirations behind their design.
Kim has worn FILA on court for nearly 20 years, and continues to do so in her most recent comeback. It's hard to pick a favorite out of all those different kits, but the ones that jump out to Kim are not only stylish, but rooted in history and inspiration. Get the fashion scoop on the iconic green outfit she wore all the way to the trophy stand at the 2011 Australian Open and the sentimental value behind her 2011 Roland-Garros kit.
2. She uses breathing techniques to remain calm on court.
Responding to a great question from a fan about how she deals with tense situations, Kim shared that she has mastered the art of targeted meditation and has found that focusing on her breathing helps her stay on task and ready to compete. Her techniques are great for pros and amateurs alike, something we could all implement when feeling stressed. Hear more from Kim in this clip.
3. She’s balancing working from home with her new role as teacher.
Like many parents right now, Kim has been thrust into the dual role of parent and teacher. Add professional-level training into the mix and she really redefines the term Super Mom! With three kids at different stages of learning, challenges abound but she embraced the new normal. However, we’re sure she’s relieved to leave the teaching to the pros as her kids return to school in Belgium so she can refocus fully on her return to tennis!
SPECIAL GUESTS
In addition to tennis fans around the world tuning in, Kim drew a very special audience from Newport – the students from TeamFAME, the ITHF’s National Junior Tennis & Learning Chapter. The Thompson Middle School students studied Kim’s career in advance and chimed in with some great questions about why she wanted to make a comeback and who inspired her when she was young. Kim left the kids with a key piece of advice that can be applied on and off the court.
"It’s just really important to enjoy what you are doing.”
- Hall of Famer Kim Clijsters, who is now pursuing her second career comeback to the sport.
Upcoming Hall of Fame Live Chats
Join us to chat live with some of the sport’s all-time greats live on the International Tennis Hall of Fame Facebook or Instagram page.
Hall of Famer Mary Pierce, Thursday, May 28 at 11am EST on Facebook.
Hall of Famer Marat Safin, Thursday, June 4 at 12pm EST on Instagram @tennishallofame.
Do you want to be notified when we go live?
Leave your email address and we'll send you an email alert before our next Hall of Fame Live so you can join the conversation as it happens!
