Clijsters steps up comeback with World Team Tennis

Clijsters, who returned to professional tennis in February this year after a gap of eight years, will team up with Mardy Fish, Jack Sock, Sabine Lisicki, Neal Skupski and Kveta Peschke for the New York Empire.

WTT had earlier announced that every player will play the entire three-week regular season, which is currently scheduled to be played between July 12 to 30. The semifinals will be played on August 1, followed by the final on August 2.

"I have girlfriends now who at times struggle to find ‘me time' and find their passion and find the time to live for their passion and still balance being a mum," Clijsters was quoted as saying by 'Tennishead' in April.

"I know in four years I'm not going to be able to do this challenge.

"I know that if I want to be able to compete with these girls then I'm going to have to be the fittest that I've ever been and to be able to move like I did in the past. I think that's going to be a lot tougher now than it was nine years or so ago," she added.

This is Clijsters' third comeback to the sport after she first bid adieu to tennis in 2007 owing to a string of injuries. She returned to the sport after a gap of two years wherein she also gave birth to her daughter.

In 2012, she announced her retirement for the second time, owing to injuries again, after winning US Open 2010 and Australian Open 2011 titles.

Clijsters then returned to the court in February 2020 at an WTA event in Dubai, where she lost to Garbine Muguruza in straight sets in opening round.