(Reuters) – World leader Kim Clijsters underwent knee surgery last year and was contracted by the novel coronavirus in January but the mother of three is not yet ready for release.
The 37-year-old Belgian has not managed to win since retiring for the second time in February, 2020, and had her last game in the opening round of last year’s U.S. Open in September.
Clijsters was scheduled to return at the WTA 1000 event in Miami starting this month but had to pull out.
“In October, I underwent surgery on my right knee to repair damage over my career and reduce pain,” she said on social media. “The results after the surgery were good – I was well resuscitated and recovered and I felt very well.
“I had COVID in January and although the symptoms were mild, it disrupted my training schedule. Unfortunately, I’m not where I need to be especially if I want to compete with the best. ”
Clijsters, who won her first Grand Slam title at the 2005 U.S. Open, retired from tennis in 2007, taking a break to have her first of three children.
She returned to the sport in 2009 and won the U.S. Open once again as a seedless wild card in her third tournament back.
Belgium won its third Flushing Meadows title in 2010 and then the Australian Open next season before retiring again in 2012.
“It’s a disappointment and a disappointment for me,” Clijsters said, adding that she will also miss next month’s WTA 500 event in Charleston, United States.
“I knew this would be difficult when I embarked on this journey – and challenges have been out of my control. I’m not ready to stop … I’m going to keep pushing and see what’s possible. ”
Reporting by Sudipto Ganguly in Mumbai; edited by Ed Osmond