“I had never told it”: Kim Clijsters shares a very specific anecdote dating from his first title at the US Open in 2005

Twenty years after his first coronation at the US Open, Kim Clijsters shares a surprising detail on his preparation for this historic tournament. Meanwhile, A touching confidence, revealed in a video published on Instagram.

In 2005, Kim Clijsters won the US Open for the first time in New York. Nevertheless, Twenty years later, the former Belgian champion, now 42 years old, returns to this striking episode of his career. Consequently, In a shared video on Instagram. Moreover, Kim Clijsters tells how she prepared, rather unexpectedly, for this tournament that was going to change her life.

“I worked at the time with a temporary coach, who had decided to take a week off … just before the US Open”she says. “It “i had never told it”: didn’t seem to be the ideal preparation”she adds with humor.

To compensate for the absence of his coach. Kim Clijsters went to Marucci Memorial Park, in the state of New Jersey. There. on a simple public ground-the number 1, she specifies-she trained with two relatives: her companion of the time, Brian Lynch, professional basketball player, and his nephew Tim, who was then his physiotherapist. “The terrain was full of cracks, but I went there every day. Babolat had sent me a box of balls, and we did what we could ”she recalls. “Brian had never played tennis, he put himself just in the net to send me the balls”.

Despite this unorthodox preparation. Kim Clijsters shone in Flushing Meadows: she won her very first Grand Chelem tournament. A victory that marked the start of the most glorious period of his career.

“It was perhaps not the perfect preparation, but I have wonderful memories”she concludes. “I have never really shared this story before, except with Brian or my nephew”.