As the daughter of former soccer international Leo Clijsters and top Belgian gymnast Els, Kim was born with competitive juices running through her veins.
It was therefore little surprise when she climbed to the top of her chosen sport in August 2003 but she had to wait more than two years before she achieved her most notable feat by lifting the 2005 US Open trophy -- her only Grand Slam title.
The Belgian should have won more majors but her compatriot Justine Henin proved to be a stumbling block in three of the other four finals she contested.
As she slips into retirement ranked fourth in the world, she would have left the 10,000,000 plus inhabitants of Belgium with a lasting legacy after helping the country to win their first Fed Cup title in 2001.
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