Published>Sun, Mar 14 10 11:27 AM
Maintaining the best possible balance between marriage, motherhood and life on the WTA Tour has become the driving force for former world number one Kim Clijsters.
The Belgian returned to the circuit in 2009 after a two-year "retirement" but she no longer feels she has anything left to prove to others as a player since the birth of her daughter.
"To me it's really important to have the time at home because otherwise I'm going to go to tournaments and I'm not going to want to be there," U.S. Open champion Clijsters told reporters on Saturday.
"Knowing that I can have time at home where I can be a housewife and take care of my husband and (daughter) Jada, that's really important to me.
"It's a life I've lived for two-and-a-half years," the Belgian said after crushing Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova 6-2 6-1 in the second round of the Indian Wells WTA tournament.
"I didn't come back to prove to anybody that I'm a good tennis player. I'm doing this for myself. It's my choice, which is a luxury to have.
"Obviously I want to do well at the tournaments where I'm at, but I also want to make sure that when I go to the tournaments I'm hungry and I'm eager to get out there."
METICULOUS APPROACH
Clijsters, who stunned the tennis world last year by winning her second U.S. Open title in just her third tournament back, has adopted a meticulous approach to her training and travel.
Since returning to the circuit she has cut back on her tournament quota and so far she believes she has struck the right balance.
"With this schedule, that's definitely something that I have," the 26-year-old said. "A few years ago, I didn't even feel like I wanted to go out there; I didn't feel like I wanted to put the work in.
"That has always been a very important part of my game ... wanting to be out there and just having that hunger, trying to fight through tough matches but also the easier matches.
"That's something that I have back, and I want to keep that. I don't want to be playing 20, 22 tournaments a year and being away, even with Jada.
"I don't want to take her to another continent for a week and fly back and forth," added Clijsters who married American professional basketball player Brian Lynch in July 2007.
"This is not why I chose to come back to tennis. Not for my rankings or anything."
Source: Web Search
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