Kim Clijsters plays at Wimbledon for last time

WIMBLEDON – As a reporter began to formulate a question about the first time Kim Clijsters retired, only to return to tennis, the four-time major champion cut off the query with a smile and a quick response.“No, this is it,” she said Sunday. “If that’s where you’re going, this is it.” No doubt at all? “No, no, no,” Clijsters repeated.The Belgian, who turned 29 on June 8, is back at Wimbledon for only the second time in the past six years - and, yes, the absolutely, positively last time. Clijsters already has announced that she’ll be leaving the sport for good after the U.S. Open in September.Why?“Too old. Too old to play the game that I want to play physically. I’ve put my body through enough strain and everything. The whole lifestyle, that’s what I’m dealing with now, the lifestyle I’ve had for the last 15, 20 years.“It’s been great. I wouldn’t change it for a thing,’’ explained Clijsters, one of only three mothers to have won a Grand Slam title. “But I’m not going to be the type of player that’s going to change the way I play or the way that I move.”The daughter of a professional soccer player, Clijsters has derived much of her success on a court from pure athleticism that helped her produce punishing groundstrokes and stretching-into-the-splits court coverage.Those abilities allowed her to win the U.S. Open in 2005, 2009 and 2010, and the Australian Open in 2011.“I naturally have that strong movement, powerful shots, and that’s been able to have me on top of women’s tennis and be, you know, I think on the highest part of women’s tennis, with Venus (Williams), Serena (Williams), Justine (Henin), to be part of that,” Clijsters said.

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Kim Clijsters plays at Wimbledon for last time