'Maybe I’m ready for another mom to win': Kim Clijsters picks surprise name to lift women's US Open title

Three-time US Open champion and President of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, Kim Clijsters, joined Tennis Channel during this year’s tournament to reflect on her career, her role in celebrating tennis history, and her thoughts on the future of the game.

Asked what memories come flooding back when she returns to the US Open at Flushing Meadows, Clijsters admitted it isn’t always the trophies that stand out most. “I do. I think, weirdly enough, it's not the wins. It's my junior years,” she said to Tennis Channel. “It’s the first time you walk around, and I remember seeing Pat Rafter. We sneaked into center court because we weren’t allowed to get in with our junior badges, and we were able to see him win a title. Those kinds of things are just fun.”

This year, Clijsters has been sharing the experience with her son. “Our middle child is here with me, Jack, so I’ll take him around and show him some things while I’m here.”

The 2005 US Open: a champion without a coach

Clijsters also recalled one of the most remarkable stories of her career — her 2005 US Open triumph. “It was a weird moment because he was like, ‘Yeah, I’m going to take the week off.’ His wife was visiting here in New York, and they didn’t want to travel to the shore where my boyfriend at the time, who is now my husband, lives. So I just decided to get a bucket of balls and train and work out. And it worked. I ended up winning. That was 20 years ago.”

Leading the Hall of Fame

Now serving as President of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, Clijsters recently oversaw one of the institution’s most memorable weekends. “Very, very special. A lot of surprises. It was an emotional weekend from start to finish. I love being a part of it because I love seeing people get celebrated,” she said.

The moment that stood out most was Serena Williams’ surprise appearance. “This was a huge moment, seeing Serena walk out and surprise everybody there. The whole thing was just very, very special. Bob and Mike [Bryan] having their family there… it was a huge, huge moment in tennis history.”

Even as President, she was kept in the dark about the Serena reveal. “I didn’t know. Yesterday, Dan was like, ‘Sorry, we couldn’t say anything. It had to be top secret.’ So, yeah — the president doesn’t know! I was shocked.” She later learned that organizers had used a code name in their planning. “It was so secretive that anytime we had a meeting or a phone call, we couldn’t use her name. They were calling her Madonna in all the group phone calls.”

Her last match — and a tipsy TV debut

Clijsters was also reminded of her final US Open in 2012, when she retired from professional tennis. After playing her last match, she joined the Tennis Channel team on set. “Yeah, oh my goodness. Champagne. I was drunk,” she admitted with a laugh. “This was the last one of the night, and I had to cheer and take drinks. It was great. Tracy (Austin), (Rennae) Stubbs, you were all there, and I was just happy the night was over and I could kind of relax a little bit. Because you enjoy it, but at the same time you’re still trying to focus on doing media. But I think I was about four or five glasses in — we all were!”

Her daughter, who was just one and a half at the time, also shared the journey. “She made two appearances out there. It was pretty remarkable to come back and win her third tournament after her maternity break. She won the US Open.”