Kim Clijsters waved goodbye to her Belgian fans on a winning note on Wednesday night. The four-time Grand Slam singles champion beat Venus Williams 6-3 6-3 in an exhibition match in Antwerp.
The action – labelled ‘Kim’s Thank You Games’ – was watched by a capacity crowd of more than 13,000.
The former world number one retired from competitive tennis during the US Open back in the summer but wanted to play one more time on home soil. However, speaking after the match, Clijsters said enough was enough.
“I had no regrets at stopping my career on August 29 at the US Open, and I still don’t have any.”
Clijsters, now 29, won the US Open three times, in 2005, 2009 and 2010, while her final Grand Slam success came at the 2011 Australian Open.
One of the most popular WTA players, she initially retired back in 2007 but, after giving birth to a daughter, was lured back to the tour in 2009, winning the US Open within weeks of her return to the court.