Kim Clijsters Still an Inspiration Despite Australian Open Loss

Kim Clijsters 6-1, 6-0 loss in her 3rd round match against Nadia Petrova at the Australian Open this week was a stunner, to be sure. But we’ve still got to give it up for the reigning US Open champ.

The loss takes nothing away from Clijsters, who came back from a two-year retirement last year, entered the US Open as a wild card and won the tournament in one of the greatest comeback stories in tennis history. It was, the New York Times said, "her ability to slice or drive the backhand, to her solid net game" that is a "welcome contribution to a sport that has lacked variety of late."

Clijsters’ inspiring comeback has also paved the way for others to do the same, most notably her countrywoman Justine Henin who is still in contention at the Australian Open after beating Alisa Kleybanova in her 3rd round match. The addition of these two former number ones adds some spice to a women’s game that has been largely dominated by the Williams’ sisters. “A great story for women’s tennis, that’s for sure,” said Roger Federer in the Times.

But it’s not just her style of play. It’s also been the sense of calm and joy for the game that she brings on the court, a new perspective on life that Clijsters attributes to being a mom to two-year-old Jada. "That's something that keeps you relaxed and not worried. Life has changed," Clijsters told Australia’s Courier-Mail about her work-life balance.

Indeed, after the notorious match Clijsters played against Serena Williams in the semi-final round of last year’s Open (in which Williams allegedly threatened to stuff a ball down the throat of a lineswoman), Clijsters said she shrugged it off and instead, spent prep time before her final match watching the cartoon Ice Age with her daughter, according to the Times.

It’s no surprise that on her Twitter page, Clijsters wrote of this latest Australian Open defeat, “Life goes on and I'll be back fighting.”

Photo courtesy Slawek via Flickr