Last Updated on November 5, 2021
This was revealed by the Belgian media. The decision was taken to stay closer to the family
In the list of wild cards for the women’s singles draw of the next Australian Open, just updated, the name of Kim Clijsters does not appear. And to say that the 37-year-old Clijsters, currently out of the top 1000 in the rankings after her second return to competition in the fall of this year, would have all the right criteria, from the height of her title won in Melbourne in 2011. But it seems that her exclusion was not a choice of the organizers, but of the Flemish tennis player herself.
Clijsters in fact refused the invitation sent to her by the organizers of the Grand Slam. This was revealed by the Belgian media. The decision would depend on the strict security procedures of the tournament that would force the former world no.1 to spend a long period away from her family, and in particular, from her three children. A period evidently judged too long by Clijsters herself.
The Belgian, who played her match in the first round of the last US Open, should thus return to the competition in March, when the Melbourne bubble will end.
