Kim Clijsters Ring Ceremony

Five years after her last match at the US Open, four-time major champion Kim Clijsters was honored in a special presentation on court at the US Open in between matches on women's semifinals night.  

"I never really expected that I would be giving another speech on this court again, it’s an extreme honor to have this ring presented to me on this court. This is very special. Thank you everybody for the support for so many years,” Clijsters said.

One of six women in tennis history to simultaneously top the world rankings in singles and doubles, Belgium’s Kim Clijsters, was the world No. 1 player for 19 weeks and was ranked within the world top-5 for 250 weeks during her career. Bolstered by a powerful baseline game and remarkable defensive skills on court, Clijsters won four Grand Slam tournament singles titles.  In recognition of her extraordinary career, Clijsters was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in July.

Hall of Fame President Stan Smith presented Clijsters with her ring, in a special ceremony on court at the US Open. "You can’t buy it. You got to earn it through blood, sweat, and tears,” Smith said to Clijsters in regards to receiving her exclusive Hall of Famer ring.