Kim Clijsters may not go to Australia

Kim Clijsters may not be going to Australia. Although, if she wanted to, she could get a wildcard in the main draw of the Australian Open. Six wildcards have already been handed out to the women – these go to veteran Sam Stosur, Storm Sanders, Dario Savile, Madison Inglis, Diane Barry and Robin Anderson. There are still two wildcards available.

So far, Clijsters is also not on the list of preparatory tournaments for this year’s first major tournament, some of which are starting on a good week. The Australian Open starts on January 17th.

She is not expected to travel to Australia – a long trip, several weeks away from family, risk of contracting coronavirus by travel – but she will remain in America, where she lives.

Last year, she missed the Australian Open because she had a problem with her knee and had to have surgery. After her last official game of the year, in early October in Indian Wells, she indicated that she definitely wants to continue knitting Kimback next season. One option is for her first major tournament of the upcoming tennis season to be in her second home, Indian Wells, which is set to resume as usual in early March next year. In the American tennis paradise among the palm trees, a month ago I played the World Team Tennis Competition, a team tournament with shorter matches.

With the men, Andy Murray, a Clijsters contemporary and a run-in after sustained injuries, received a wild card for the Australian Open. (hjb)