Kim Clijsters

Tennis Player

Kim Clijsters won her first WTA Tour singles title at Luxembourg in 1999, and reached her first major final in 2001, losing to Jennifer Capriati in the French Open. The appearance made her the first Belgian woman ever to play in a Grand Slam final. She and countrywoman Justine Henin-Hardenne quickly became the rising stars of Belgian tennis and rivals at the top of the tennis circuit. (Clijsters is the power player; Henin is more of a baseliner. Cheeky commentators called them the "Brussels sprouts.") By the end of 2003 Clijsters had won 19 WTA singles championships and was ranked #2 in the world.

Extra credit: Clijsters plays right-handed... In 2000 she began dating Australian tennis ace Lleyton Hewitt; they became engaged in 2003 but split in 2004... Her younger sister Elke Clijsters (b. 1985) also plays competitive tennis... Her father Leo (also called Lei) is a former soccer star who was named Belgium's player of the year in 1988... According to the WTA, her name is pronounced KLEYE-sters.

Other tennis stars of past and present: Martina Hingis, Serena Williams, Billie Jean King and Ashley Harkleroad.