This doesn't come as too much of a surprise since she hasn't seemed very interested in her tennis this season: Kim Clijsters has announced her immediate retirement from tennis on her website. We already knew this would be the last season for the 23-year-old former world number one who will be getting married in July and had planned to play at Wimbledon. But now, Clisters has pulled out of that after previously withdrawing from the French and US Open where she had reached the finals twice each.
Cilsters has struggled with injury over the last few years with the most serious being a wrist injury that threatened to derail her career even earlier. But she came back from the layoff from the wrist with newfound focus in 2005 and dominated the women's tour for awhile.
"It has been more than great. The rackets will be hung up," Clijsters told her web diary. "Stopping aged almost 24 is pretty young but it has been wonderful. It would be easy to go on for a few more months and take in the four big earners in tennis," Clijsters wrote, referring to the remaining grand slams and the end-of-season Masters.
In addition to her U.S. Open title, Clisters also the won the season-ending tournament twice in a 10-year professional career.
"Money is important, but not the most important thing in my life. Health and a private life are more important."
Clisters is considered one of the nicer players on tour and had previously been engaged to Australian Lleyton Hewitt, also a former number one and U.S. and Wimbledon champion.