Former world No. 1 Kim Clijsters has joined the growing list of tennis greats imagining what the ideal player would look like, combining traits from different WTA stars, including Serena Williams and Iga Swiatek. In a 2022 video for USTA, Clijsters carefully pieced together her version of the ultimate athlete, selecting shots and qualities from across generations of champions.
Starting with the serve, Clijsters didn’t hesitate: “Serena’s,” she said, naming Serena Williams as her pick. When it came to the return, she backed herself. “Maybe I’ll take mine. That’s maybe the one. I just trusted my instinct of reading my opponent’s serve, which is something I felt very comfortable with. So let me just keep that confidence in that shot.”
For the forehand, Clijsters highlighted Steffi Graf, calling her run-around forehand the one she always admired growing up. “Ashleigh Barty, to me, comes close to the perfect tennis player,” she said. “Let me just go back a generation and I’m going to go with Steffi’s forehand because, in my childhood, that was the shot that I wanted to hit. I wanted to have the footwork to run around.”
At the net, Clijsters picked Martina Navratilova, referencing their time on court together during the legends tour. “I played doubles against Navratilova. I mean, she was already older when I played her and was still incredible. I will pick Martina’s volleys,” she said.
She closed her list with the mindset, selecting current French Open champion Iga Swiatek. “I think I’m going to take Iga, just to have a current player. Just with what she’s been doing, for the last year, especially recently,” Clijsters explained. “Just the mental aspect of her improving her game to where it is now and how much dedication and how much passion and motivation and everything that it takes.”
see also
Former World No. 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas picks Federer, Djokovic, Nadal to build perfect player
Clijsters’ impressive career
Clijsters was one of the most complete players of her generation. She spent 20 weeks as the world No. 1 in singles and four weeks as No. 1 in doubles, holding both rankings at the same time in 2003. She won four Grand Slam singles titles and two in doubles, as well as 41 singles trophies overall on the WTA Tour. Her strong return game and fluid movement on court made her a favorite among fans.
After retiring early in 2007 to start a family, Clijsters returned two years later and pulled off one of the most impressive comebacks in tennis history. She won the US Open in just her third tournament back, defended the title in 2010, and later added the Australian Open in 2011. That year, she also became the first mother to reclaim the No. 1 ranking.
