Four-time tennis Grand Slam winner shares worrying update after horrific injury

Kim Clijsters was forced to retire from her opening match at the Luxembourg Ladies Tennis Masters and was later rushed to hospital after rupturing her Achilles tendon

Four-time tennis Grand Slam winner Kim Clijsters issued a worrying health update not long after she was rushed to hospital. Clijsters, 42, was recently competing at the Luxembourg Ladies Tennis Masters, which is an invitational competition for retired WTA stars.

The four-time Major champion – whose injury battles and desire to start a family saw her retire aged 23 before U-turning two years later – had to walk away from her match against Alize Cornet while trailing 6-0, 2-1 as a result of an injury. Clijsters subsequently posted a video from her hospital bed revealing she had undergone surgery following a ruptured Achilles tendon.

The ex-world No. 1 will have to wear a boot for the following fortnight. The Belgian tennis legend took to Instagram to post the video and penned: “Not an update I was hoping to share.

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“Hi guys, I am in a hospital, as you can probably tell. Ended up rupturing my Achilles tendon yesterday at the event in Luxembourg, which was not fun, but on the road to recovery now.

“In the next two weeks, I’ll be in this boot. Very annoying injury. Obviously, I didn’t think that after I would be retired that I would have a big, serious injury like this.

“But it is what it is, so can’t wait to get to the States and be with Brian and the kids, and start my recovery. For the people who knew and have been sending me lots of messages, thank you so much. I really appreciate it. I was very bummed yesterday but it’s all good now.”

Clijsters is now hoping to be match-fit in time to take part in the Wimbledon legends event next summer. In another update, she said: “The surgery has been done, it got connected again, and I’ll keep giving you an update.

“I guess I’m going to have to put some other people to work in the barn now, because I’m not going to be able to do much for a little while!

“Anyway, thank you so much everyone, and I look forward to getting better, motivated to try kind of give myself the time to be ready to play tennis again and hopefully Wimbledon legends is what I’ll be able to do next.”

The retired Hall of Fame member was inundated with well-wishes and comments of support from some of her old rivals and colleagues from the tennis world.

“Feel better soon and hoping for quick healing,” Billie Jean King wrote. Jannik Sinner’s coach, Darren Cahill also commented: “Nooooo Kimmie. Hang in there and a speedy recovery, big hugs.” Retired British ace Naomi Broady also added: “Oh nooo! Sending a big hug Kim. Get well soon.”

Clijsters will at least be able to enjoy an exciting day of tennis on Sunday October 12th. She will have her choice between watching the Wuhan Open final between Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff or the Shanghai Masters final between Valentin Vacherot and Arthur Renderknech.

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