travlerajm
Talk Tennis Guru
She was hitting a much heavier ball than her opponent.
Can we have a real discussion about Kim Clijsters?
- Thread starter TagUrIt
- Start date
Federev
Legend
that's hilarious!
Federev
Legend
you slay
Federev
Legend
I Agree, as she is fat and out of shape, looking nothing like a professional athlete True, she can still hit the ball well but I think it unfair to give he a wild card when younger players need the money and experience more. She and Venus should play doubles.
time_fly
Hall of Fame
It's really sad because she is still a good player, and while she is older than most WTA players, she could still be competitive if she maximized her fitness. I don't want to fat-shame anyone. But anyone who wants to be a professional athlete and compete at the highest levels needs to maximize her physical fitness in terms of both athletics (strength, endurance, flexibility) and eliminating unnecessary weight. That's not a personal criticism; it's the job.
That was cute. Justine looks good.
Tanya
Hall of Fame
I think you amalgamated 2 players here... Heather Watson and Laura Robson...
accidental
Hall of Fame
Lol it seems like I did
I would like to see Laura Robson come back and Heather Watson return to form though
accidental
Hall of Fame
It’s also been 6 months now, and Clijsters has basically had that whole time as an ‘off season’ to get her body right, and hasn’t for whatever reason
It’s just reality that most late 30’s mothers of 3 kids won’t be able to transform their bodies into the same kind of shape as a mid 20’s athlete
the green god
Professional
Drop 3 0 l b s and she will be right in the mix.
Alba Barragan
Professional
I couldn't agree more with these comments
We tend to forget that, for some of these players, tennis isn't just their job. They chose that path because, at least to some degree, they loved it. Imagine going through college, working for some 10 years in something you feel passionate about, in the most competitive and big stages, and then retire at 30 to... what exactly? Be a housewive? Take care of kids and some dogs? Live in a calm suburb where nothing happens? I'm not saying it's a bad life, but some people are just not made for it. Especially those big players who tasted the highest peaks of competition and success, then had to give that up at such an early age. If they still feel the love for the training and competition, who are we to judge?
clayqueen
Talk Tennis Guru
Laura Robson is now a commentator on Amazon Prime.
Mainad
Bionic Poster
Her Wiki entry still says she's "active" although she hasn't played a match since February.
Laura Robson - Wikipedia
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Deleted member 771911
Guest
I was very surprised when I turned on the TV and she was playing Alexandrova. I was glad Alexandrova won because Kim should not be winning any pro tennis matches in that shape. Love Kim, but still.
Jack the Hack
Hall of Fame
I'm not into body shaming at all. Personally, I can't point fingers when I've been way too heavy at times in my life. That said, I was shocked when I saw Clijsters on TV yesterday. She was never a skinny woman even when she was #1 and that is OK - she's a great athlete with a bigger frame. But I agree, knowing that she's coming back to tour and having more than 6 months to train, I was expecting something more. For instance, I'm just an average guy in his 40s with a family and full-time job, and yet I've had the self discipline to drop almost 35 lbs since May. With all of her money and time, why hasn't Kim been able to do the same?
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Deleted member 771911
Guest
I have been heavy, too, but this is not body shaming. We are not pointing out pics of Kim out on the street shopping, minding her own business. We are commentating on her turning up at a pro tennis tournament, right, as an athlete. It's not body shaming to say that an athlete is out of shape.
accidental
Hall of Fame
I couldn't agree more with these comments
We tend to forget that, for some of these players, tennis isn't just their job. They chose that path because, at least to some degree, they loved it. Imagine going through college, working for some 10 years in something you feel passionate about, in the most competitive and big stages, and then retire at 30 to... what exactly? Be a housewive? Take care of kids and some dogs? Live in a calm suburb where nothing happens? I'm not saying it's a bad life, but some people are just not made for it. Especially those big players who tasted the highest peaks of competition and success, then had to give that up at such an early age. If they still feel the love for the training and competition, who are we to judge?
That’s fair enough and it’s her choice to do what she wants.
Though she is taking wildcards to the biggest events and has so far not won a single match. I would be pretty annoyed about it if I was a young up and coming player in the mix for those wildcards and they keep giving it to a former player who turns up not at all in playing shape.
That’s not entirely on her though, that’s on the tournament organisers. And I would think if she keeps going the way she has been then the wildcards will stop coming
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Deleted member 771911
Guest
Agreed. There is something a little old boys' club about Kim turning up in this condition and taking her place in the draw as a wildcard.
travlerajm
Talk Tennis Guru
She earned those wildcards by winning majors earlier in her career. The younger nobodies who missed out on the wildcard should not be complaining. Wildcards are not supposed to be wasted on nobodies.
Kim may not be winning or looking lean, but she has sparked interest just by showing up.
Mark-Touch
Legend
Yes it's true she sparked interest with her return.
But unless she drops a few pounds and gets in better shape I can see her losing
belief, very quickly, in her chances of success on the tour.
accidental
Hall of Fame
Wildcards are given to ‘nobodies’ a lot more frequently than they are to has-beens.
Besides, Clijsters hasn’t won a tour level match since 2012 and is unranked despite announcing her comeback a whole year ago in October 2019. She is a nobody on the main tour.
She is still a somebody amongst the retired players and on the legends tour
travlerajm
Talk Tennis Guru
That just means there are not enough has-beens requesting wildcards to fill all of the slots.
mental midget
Hall of Fame
agree, that was a good result really. obviously she's not in fighting shape at the moment but her foundational game is a really good one. if she keeps at it for another 6 months or so i think she could get her share of wins.
bluetrain4
G.O.A.T.
Do you think Kim came back because she honestly thought she was going to win Slams. When McEnroe took his hiatus or Hingis retired from singles fairly young, I think they honestly came back to win more big titles.
Kim just strikes me as "I just want to try this to see what I can do." She'll either maintain that mindset and keep playing basically as a hobby, or she'll get sick of losing and either get into as tip top shape as she can, or retire again.
She has three kids; she's been a mom for a while. I don't blame her for maybe wanting simply to do something, and since she's a former pro tennis player and has the opportunity to plug herself back into that system, I don't have a problem with it.
Kim just strikes me as "I just want to try this to see what I can do." She'll either maintain that mindset and keep playing basically as a hobby, or she'll get sick of losing and either get into as tip top shape as she can, or retire again.
She has three kids; she's been a mom for a while. I don't blame her for maybe wanting simply to do something, and since she's a former pro tennis player and has the opportunity to plug herself back into that system, I don't have a problem with it.
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Deleted member 771911
Guest
Yeah, I don't have a problem with it. I watched her first rounder and enjoyed seeing her again. Kim is a quality player.
However, I do have a problem with people feeling bad about criticising her. She is getting some nice reward for her comeback, even losing first round will buy her a nice new kitchen! Criticism comes with that privilege especially when we have been talking so much recently about how tough it is for up and comers, or 'nobodies' as one poster puts it (lol, imagine calling players who get themselves into positions to be considered for wildcards as nobodies and then act all appalled when someone dare criticise Kim!) to make a living on the tour.
However, I do have a problem with people feeling bad about criticising her. She is getting some nice reward for her comeback, even losing first round will buy her a nice new kitchen! Criticism comes with that privilege especially when we have been talking so much recently about how tough it is for up and comers, or 'nobodies' as one poster puts it (lol, imagine calling players who get themselves into positions to be considered for wildcards as nobodies and then act all appalled when someone dare criticise Kim!) to make a living on the tour.
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Deleted member 771911
Guest
Imagine calling players who are actually considered for wildcards into the US Open as nobodies! Lol. And then acting all mad that people dare criticise Kim. Yet you are happy to dismiss kids who worked their entire lives to get wild card consideration nobodies.
Wildcard is ment for the organisers who can do whatever they want with it. They prefer to have former champion and no 1 Clijsters in the tournament rather than WTA 120 ranking player. Actually Clijsters won US Open right after her first retirement.
Anyway I think Kim should start with some Internationals in 2021 otherwise it is hard to have any rythm if you draw Konta or Mugiruza in the 1st round.
Anyway I think Kim should start with some Internationals in 2021 otherwise it is hard to have any rythm if you draw Konta or Mugiruza in the 1st round.
THIS!
rabidranger
Rookie
I haven't been following her comeback much so was a little surprised when I tuned in and saw the shape she was in. Can't really dance around it, she doesn't appear to be in the kind of physical condition (yes, weight) to compete at this level. I think it says a lot about the WTA that she did as well as she did. To be clear she looked completely normal for a woman of her age that has had three kids and was never all that skinny to begin with. Is that pro athlete form though? Not really. She has some work to do to get into that kind of condition. We'll see.
Swingmaster
Hall of Fame
She’s still got the game, no doubt. Still a top ten striker. I guess we can talk about her fitness without mentioning her weight, but that’s hard to do. Fans of hers, me included, are going to speculate a little about whether she can ramp up her fitness and have a real chance again. Or we can just say, Great to have her back!
Kim was much heavier than any entrant in the USO this year, male or female. Just the facts. The OP asked for a "real discussion" about Kim, how about that she is morbidly obese and embarrassingly out of shape? She makes Serena look anorexic in comparison.
Now incoming triggered poster: "Stop hating on the WTA!!! These women are champions!!!!!!!!! She looks incredible so STFU, you hater, you're prolly a Trump supporter too. My country doesn't have these issues!"
Hyperbole much? I doubt Kim weighs many of the male en
I'm going to guess the pandemic and "sheltering at home" put a damper in her fitness plans like it did for many people.
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Deleted member 771911
Guest
I reckon Kim has a home gym.
So do lots of people, but it isn't that simple, is it?
She's a human being like the rest of us. Has 3 kids to take care of. These past few months have been very stressful for a lot of people and a lot of people gained weight.
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Deleted member 771911
Guest
But what's your point? She still turned up at a pro tennis tournament to compete, a slam no less. Do you see any of the other athletes looking so out of shape? If Kim was not in shape, she could have pulled out and let someone who could get to a gym compete.
accidental
Hall of Fame
I don’t think she’s come back just to see how she does.
If she had low expectations she wouldn’t have made this strange announcement/hype was video:
If she had low expectations she wouldn’t have made this strange announcement/hype was video:
why should she pull out because she's out of shape? She needs some matches AND to work on her fitness. This is just a first step.
accidental
Hall of Fame
She’s not ‘just like the rest of us’ at all. She’s worth at least 20 million and has no job other than playing tennis.
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Deleted member 771911
Guest
Fair point there.
Swingmaster
Hall of Fame
There’d be nothing wrong with her playing if she were fifty pounds heavier, but just like working on your serve, you work on your fitness.It’s something to talk about if you like talking about pro tennis. It’s not taboo. We don’t avoid talking about Zverev’s serve because it would hurt his feelings.
PDJ
G.O.A.T.
It's no more of a mistake than Venus battling on. Plus, regardless of results she's an international name and the WTA is sorely lacking in marquee names known to the public at large.
Plus she's achieved the pinnacle so anything else is a bonus.
She, Venus et al have had a great career but not ATG status, so anything that happens doesn't massively impact on their legacy. It's players like Serena Williams that detract from greatness losing to the likes of those ranked 50+.
Good luck to a class act. And Clijsters is a step above most in this respect.
Plus she's achieved the pinnacle so anything else is a bonus.
She, Venus et al have had a great career but not ATG status, so anything that happens doesn't massively impact on their legacy. It's players like Serena Williams that detract from greatness losing to the likes of those ranked 50+.
Good luck to a class act. And Clijsters is a step above most in this respect.
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She's also a mother. And we've all had to deal with this unprecedented pandemic which has adversely affected so many people's mental health and increased anxiety.
I wouldnt expect her or anyone else to be perfectly focused on their fitness while basically forced to stay home for months while hundreds of thousands of people die. Not to mention the stress of seeing the US fall apart at the seems.
It doesn't matter how much money she has. She's a human being like the rest of us. I don't know if the pandemic is the reason for her weight gain or rather lack of weight loss. I just suspect it hasn't been that easy even for athletes to maintain a fitness regimen under these circumstances.
TagUrIt
Hall of Fame
I don't disagree with a lot of what you said. I would only say that Kim made a choice to come back and in doing so propelled herself into the spotlight. Yes it's cruel to criticize her physique, but let's be honest, she's obviously not in the best shape. She was always (even in her prime) on the thicker side of bodytypes. Her expectations of successfully competing in the current WTA, unfortunately not very realistic. Yes it's PC to be happy for her comeback and not discuss her weight, but if we're being real, again she made the decision to come back, no one made her do any of this.
Lleytonstation
Talk Tennis Guru
Yeah. She is awesome and we need her back.
Cmon she played 3 matches, one with Muguruza, ona with Konta and one with Alexandrova which she could actually win. So it is not like she played some 50-100 raning players and played terribly. She needs some fitness and more matches and rythm. And she could make it to TOP50 easily. If she can do more, I don’t know for now.
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Deleted member 770948
Guest
She has a lot of potential when you consider how impressive her groundstrokes are.
Improve her fitness (which she will do with more matchplay alone) and she'll be in slam QFs or better.
A lot of players are capable of reaching slam QFs, but they fall short because nerves get the better of them, whereas she has no issue with nerves.
Great talent, great shot-selection, great mental strength, so the only thing missing is fitness.
Improve her fitness (which she will do with more matchplay alone) and she'll be in slam QFs or better.
A lot of players are capable of reaching slam QFs, but they fall short because nerves get the better of them, whereas she has no issue with nerves.
Great talent, great shot-selection, great mental strength, so the only thing missing is fitness.
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