The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : For Clijsters, there's life beyond tennis

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Saturday, Mar 24, 2007
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For Clijsters, there's life beyond tennis

Nandita Sridhar

Latter part of career spent battling wrist problem

— Photo: AFP

NEW LIFE BECKONS: Belgian Kim Clijsters is not too perturbed about quitting tennis after marriage to her boyfriend Brian Lynch.

Miami: Blame it on all those comeback stories. Despite being months and tournaments away from stepping into voluntary obscurity, Kim Clijsters is already being asked about her comeback plans. "I'm not a very big planner," she said, before the Sony Ericsson Open.

Maybe the fans feel she is too good to succumb to domesticity. Maybe her decision to retire, because she wants to, is too simple, providing fodder for comeback hopes. But it's more than apparent that she's moved on in life. It's time people accepted it.

"I'm just waiting to do some of the things I've wanted to do, after I retire," she said. "I will always play tennis, but right now, I'm just focusing on preparing myself for the remaining tournaments, do some swimming, play some squash, which I love."

For starters, she will have to make sure that her last few months in professional tennis are not spent in fixing broken bones and torn muscles.

"I've reached a stage now, where I do not play a tournament unless I'm physically fresh and ready for it. I'm getting to know my body a lot better now." This is probably one of the reasons why retirement looms. Most of the latter part of her career has been spent battling a wrist problem. After a point, it doesn't seem worth it.

Moving on

Over the years, Clijsters has moved on from her days of four-walled touring experiences, to enjoying and exploring new places. Possibly, winning the 2005 U.S. Open title threw the monkey off her back, and that dented the motivation levels. An obsession with tennis was never her thing.

Post-retirement, she will have her hands full in supporting basketball player Brian Lynch, who she will wed after Wimbledon. But being a sportsperson makes it tough to keep the adrenalin under control.

"I'm not like the other wives and girlfriends. I get extremely nervous and very animated," she said, on supporting her fiancé.

The Sony Ericsson Open might just be the 23-year-old's last big tournament in the US, after uncertainties over her participation in the 2007 U.S.Open.

The reason? The dates are too close after her marriage and honeymoon. Here's someone who's not yearning so much for a dream farewell as she's for just a farewell.

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