Kim Clijsters, 36, who is starting her second comeback to professional tennis in Dubai next week, will not have an easy return, as she was handed a first-round tie against world number eight Kiki Bertens in Saturday’s draw.
Clijsters, a Belgian mother-of-three, joked in Dubai that she was not receiving the full support of her family. “My son Jack is hoping I’ll lose early, so I’ll be home soon,” she told Belgian media.
Bertens, 28, said earlier this year in a column for the BBC that “although I never really enjoyed watching tennis when I was young, Kim Clijsters was my role model”.
“I think it would be nice if I could play against her one day. I don’t know how I’d feel if that happened, but of course I’d want to beat her,” the Dutch player continued.