By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Thursday October 7 2021
Kim Clijsters bowed out in three sets to Katerina Siniakova at Indian Wells, falling to 0-5 since her comeback began.
Photo Source: Getty
Kim Clijsters started her comeback from a seven year absence at the worst possible time. She put two matches under her belt at the start of 2020 – both losses – before the coronavirus pandemic changed everything, forever.
But Clijsters, who has also dealt with a positive Covid-19 test and a knee surgery in the ensuing months, is still on the comeback trail, hoping to find her winning ways. She wasn’t able to eke out a victory today against Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic in her first appearance at Indian Wells since 2011, but Clijsters told reporters that she still believes in the process after her 6-1, 2-6, 6-2 loss.
"Obviously didn't start the match off well and it's always a little bit of a search for me when I start my matches, last week in Chicago I started off well but had a few games where I wasn't really into the match,” the Hall of Famer and three-time major champion said. “Even here too, just looking for my rhythm, my anticipation again, reading my opponents, getting used to playing on a different court again - a lot of different things."
Clijsters drops to 0-5 since the beginning of 2020. She has lost her last three decisions in three sets, and regrets a lack of consistency at this phase of her comeback.
"I felt like I fought my way into the match well in that second set and kind of put her under pressure a little bit better and third set I made a couple of really dumb mistakes there, which were unfortunate,” she said. “I think if I could make those points maybe break here and there you never know what happens."
The 38-year-old Belgian is expecting a bumpy ride, and appears to be taking her lack of victories in stride. She adds that she is playing well in practice and just can’t seem to make it translate to the match court.
"I think overall there are definitely moments where I am feeling really good out there and there are moments where I feel they are too inconsistent," she said. "But that's part of this process in general. It's not going to be smooth, it's not going to be a smooth ride. That's what I'm going to try to improve every time I'm out there. I'm hitting the ball really well in practice, I'm serving well in practice, it's just a matter of trying to transfer that over into the matches."
No set timeframe for next tournament
Clijsters plans to fly back to New Jersey and meet with her team to decide on a course of action for the future. She appears committed to pushing forward with her comeback, but there will not be a lot of playing opportunities in the US this season.
"When I started this I kind of gave myself, like I wanted to give it a good shot for two years,” she said. “Those two years will end at the end of this year, so obviously Covid kind of changed everything up a little bit and timing wise, for a lot of players it wasn't fun, but made it a little tougher also for me, but on the other hand I was home, didn't have to worry about it.
"I’m going to go back home to New Jersey after this trip, will probably fly out tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, and then kind of reevaluate, with my coach and my fitness coach to see, obviously the options aren't that easy. Just trying to see at this time, what works with the family and those kind of things.
"I can't give you like a clear answer yet but that will probably be made next week I would say."