Kim Clijsters on 2026 Rome Results, Post-Baby Comebacks & Peaking at Grand Slams | Love All w/ Kim Clijsters

Summary

Podcast Summary: Served with Andy Roddick — Love All w/ Kim Clijsters

Episode: Kim Clijsters on 2026 Rome Results, Post-Baby Comebacks & Peaking at Grand Slams
Date: May 20, 2026

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Brief Overview

In this episode of "Love All" on the Served Media Network, Kim Clijsters (former World No. 1), broadcasting from Paris near Roland Garros, offers insights and reflections on the latest results from the 2026 tennis season. The discussion focuses on Alina Svitolina's inspirational Rome victory, post-baby career reinventions, the mental and physical challenges of pro tennis, and how to peak for Grand Slams. The episode blends inside stories, technical analysis, and humor, making it a rich listen for tennis fans.

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Main Discussion Themes

1. Kim Clijsters’ Paris Experience as a Former Pro

• Kim is in Paris for the Roland Garros qualifying rounds, enjoying reconnecting with players, Belgian fans, and the evolving environment of the tournament site.
  • Memorable moment: Kim accidentally spills hot tea on Tournament Director Amélie Mauresmo, causing a lighthearted incident.
    • “She tapped my back…but like, I held my tea a little bit away from her and it just spilled on her…She’s like, ‘Ow.’…But she’s okay.” (02:34, Kim)

2. Alina Svitolina’s Rome Triumph & Comeback Post-Motherhood

• Svitolina's third Rome title, first big win post-maternity, beating three reigning Grand Slam champions in three-set matches.
• Clijsters relates her own experiences, underscoring the challenges and physical/mental transformation required after motherhood.
  • “The great thing about being on maternity leave is that you…can really work on, you know, getting the back of that shoulder stronger…Those kind of things I was able to really attack with my team.” (09:11, Kim)
  • Svitolina’s revamped, more aggressive forehand and physical "2.0" approach are highlighted as keys to her success.

3. The Svitolina–Monfils Partnership & Mindset

• Svitolina and Monfils’ mutual influence on each other’s games and personalities.
• A dramatic reading of Monfils’ heartfelt Instagram post after Svitolina’s win generates an emotional response.
  • "You inspire me every single day. Enjoy this. Soak it all in. You deserve every second of it. I love you." (14:12, Monfils’s post, read aloud)
• The dynamic between Svitolina’s intensity and Monfils’ playfulness is discussed as a catalyst for her growth and resilience.
  • “He’s brought that out in her as well…Her intensity has been helpful to him as well…They’ve balanced each other out." (15:24, Host)

4. Mental and Physical Transformation Post-Baby

• Clijsters draws parallels with her own post-baby return and the chance to rebuild the body and game from scratch.
• Discussion expands to how returning mothers like Svitolina and Azarenka have achieved success, defying assumptions about athletes post-motherhood.
• Svitolina’s game is reframed as “wiser, fitter, and more aggressive” than pre-maternity.

5. Handling Athleticism: Blessing or Handicap?

• Deep dive into whether athleticism, e.g., Svitolina's and Coco Gauff's, can sometimes be relied on too heavily, hindering more aggressive play.
  • “Early on…I would kind of fall back a little bit too much on, hey, let me...wait for them…to make the mistake. That’s good up to a certain level…So I had to learn to play closer on top of my baseline.” (21:50, Kim)
• Discusses how both Gauff and Svitolina have had to shift tactically from relying mainly on defense to embracing offense.
  • “Being super athletic…helps a lot in those kind of situations, too.” (23:37, Kim)

6. Coco Gauff’s Rome Run and Social Media Humor

• Coco reaches the Rome final; candidly jokes online about the discomfort of being a runner-up.
• Kim on losing finals: “I think once I got older, just more frustrated and annoyed…It’s a weird feeling…You see her happy…but then…you feel disgusted with yourself.” (27:03, Kim)
• Strong sentiment that Gauff’s performance positions her well for Roland Garros defense.

7. Women’s French Open Preview: Iga, Coco, Svitolina, and Sabalenka

• Hosts debate the favorites: Swiatek’s “insane” level, Svitolina’s rising confidence, and Gauff’s improved serve and mindset.
  • “It’s hard to bet against IGA though, if IGA is playing well.” (32:01, Host)
  • Sabalenka is considered “maybe just a little bit below” the top group based on current clay form.

8. Men’s Field Analysis: Sinner’s Dominance & Rude’s Consistency

• Jannik Sinner's streak: wins six of his last seven Masters 1000 events and completes the “Masters set” at 24.
• Kim and the host marvel at Sinner’s “robotic” consistency and discipline, including superstitions about his team’s attire.
  • “He makes it look so easy…Just to know how much it means and how hard that is to, to be so locked in…” (34:30; 35:13, Kim)
• Casper Ruud: Can he make another final? Kim expresses interest in the psychological impact of fatherhood on male players.
  • Ruud’s finalist speeches are praised for humor and self-awareness.
  • “You’ve got to take some risks…to get better.” (39:23, Host)

9. The Mindset of Grit and Belief

• Quotes Marat Safin on belief: “If I believe that you can do it, why can’t you believe it?” (42:37)
• Kim highlights tennis as “a mental game…the mental game that makes the biggest difference.” (43:37, Kim)

10. Peaking for Grand Slams—Kim Formation

• Kim outlines how Grand Slam peaking is rooted in offseason physical work and fine-tuning before majors.
  • “In the preseason, that’s where I did most of my running…a few days before I started really kind of slowing down…mentally just being fully rested. But most of the work physically is already done early.” (49:45–51:53, Kim)
• Trust in the team is key: “Blind trust. There was. I didn’t want to worry about what should my heart rate be…They tell me…And I kind of just…did what I was told.” (52:56, Kim)

11. Favorite Roland Garros Traditions and Features

• Kim’s Top Three:
  1. Emotional support from the Belgian crowd: “It’s not a home Grand Slam, but it makes a big difference knowing…having that support.” (55:20, Kim)
  2. The tunnel under Suzanne Lenglen Court: “A really cool feature.”
  3. Crepes on site and excellent medical facilities.
• Host echoes the special atmosphere: “Court Simonne-Mathieu…is like a greenhouse…doesn’t feel like a tennis tournament.” (57:58)

12. Closing Banter

• Bracket picks: both hosts admit to intentionally choosing “long-shot” players for fun.
• Kim signs off promising more social content from Paris.

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Memorable Quotes & Timestamps

• “She’s made the biggest jump in the last couple of years since she had her daughter.” (11:56, Kim on Svitolina)
• “You inspire me every single day…You deserve every second of it. I love you.” (14:12, Monfils via Host)
• “For a while…people were talking about Sabalenka, Rybakina…but it’s nice to see now…let’s see Coco, IGA…” (30:39, Host)
• “He makes it look so easy.” (34:30, Kim on Sinner)
• “In the preseason...that’s where I did most of my running...” (49:45, Kim)
• “Blind trust...[in your team]...And then, it just runs smoothly when there is struggles.” (54:48, Kim)

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Key Timestamps

• 01:24–05:39: Kim on her Paris trip, fan interactions, and the Belgian community at Roland Garros.
• 06:41–17:45: Rome results, Svitolina's comeback, and motherhood in tennis.
• 21:50–24:24: Athleticism as advantage and tactical evolution.
• 26:19–30:39: Coco Gauff’s humor and prospects for the French Open.
• 32:01–33:35: French Open women’s favorites analysis.
• 34:30–38:12: Jannik Sinner’s dominance and superstitions; Sinner’s team uniform.
• 38:12–40:33: Casper Rude’s chances and the psychology of parenthood for male players.
• 49:45–55:13: Kim on preparing to peak for a Grand Slam, team trust, and off-season.
• 55:13–56:52: Kim’s three favorite things about the Roland Garros experience.

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Overall Tone & Takeaways

The episode mixes detailed technical insight, tennis insider stories, and playful camaraderie. It brings depth—especially on the physical/mental demands for players during and after major life changes—while keeping things accessible and entertaining for passionate and casual fans alike.

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Notable Moments for Tennis Enthusiasts

• Svitolina’s tactical evolution post-motherhood as “a new kind of aggressive.”
• Monfils and Svitolina’s influence on each other’s professional approaches.
• Rare glimpses into Kim’s own training routines and philosophy on peaking and team trust.
• Kim’s favorite Roland Garros features connect the fresh experiences of current players to her career memories.

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Useful for:

• Fans wanting deeper context for Rome and Roland Garros 2026 results
• Anyone interested in the challenges of pro athletes returning after childbirth
• Players or coaches looking for insight on mental/physical preparation for majors
• Listeners seeking technical analysis wrapped in warm, fun conversation

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Transcript

[Kim Clijsters]

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[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

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[Kim Clijsters]

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[Kim Clijsters]

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[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

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[Kim Clijsters]

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[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

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[Kim Clijsters]

Here we go. Hi, everyone. Welcome back to a new episode of Love. All very excited for this weekend. I'm in a different environment, hotel room. Not in my usual closet slash whatever desk, podcast room, whatever the uses of it now, but excited. I've had a fun couple of days here already. Yeah.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

Kim, give the people an update. You're in paris. You're a 15 minute walk away from Roland Garros. Why are you there? How's it been going so far?

[Kim Clijsters]

I got here Sunday morning and besides the fact that I was on a freezing flight over, I feel like I've adjusted pretty well. Yes. So I couldn't sleep, that's how cold it was. But adjusted well to the time change and the weather's been a little bit different from what I was expecting. I don't know. I left New Jersey and it was nice and sunny and I was like, oh, this is great. You know, I'm going to Paris, like, nice sunshine and so didn't pack a coat, nothing. So it's been a little cold during the quality days, but I'm not complaining. It's a lot harder for the players who have to go in and out and, you know, to get to the gym and warm up, you know, a few times before they play. But it's been fun. It's nice to see a lot of the changes that the tournament has made again. And I saw Amelie Moresmo, the tournament director, on Sunday night, the last day before the Qali started, and spilled a boiling hot tea over her.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

What?

[Kim Clijsters]

Yeah, I came in from the, from the Susan Langland restaurant and I was like, oh, we have to walk back to the hotel. And I Got a tea just to keep kind of our hands a little bit warm, like, me and my friend who is here with me. And. And then on. On my way out to the exit, I saw Amelie and. And I was like, we. We started talking. Like, we hugged and she tapped my back. But, like, I. I held my tea a little bit away from her and it just spilled on her. She's like, ow. Like, so. Her hand. Yeah, but she's okay. I was like, hey, are you okay? No blisters or anything? All good.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

Oh, my gosh. Yeah. So. So if during the trophy presentation, you all see her with ace bandages.

[Kim Clijsters]

Yeah, she's good.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

Kim Bernder. So a tale of two temperatures. Kim has been shivering for 72 straight hours. She also. There's been boiling water involved. So many things, but it's been good.

[Kim Clijsters]

It's nice to be here. And, you know, I come to. I'm here for the qualifying. I want to see a lot of the few of the players that I, you know, I'm in contact with, and then players that, you know, Belgium players, some players that are in the qualys for the first round that I know and that used to train in my academy and that are part of the federation or the. Or the Billie Jean King cup team. And. And so it's just really nice to kind of be a part of seeing these players kind of live their dream out. And whether it's picking up balls or giving some tips here and there, it's all fun.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

Kim, I know you don't like answering questions like this, but I'm asking it anyway. What is the reaction of how are fans reacting when they just see Kim Clijster just, like, walking along the sidewalks of Roland Garros?

[Kim Clijsters]

It's. It's weird because I'm so out of it, right, that when I go, especially here, like, I haven't been back for. For a few years and. But there's, like, a lot of Belgians that are here, and I kind of forget sometimes, like, that, you know, they come for pictures. And I went to watch David Goffin play in his first round of qualifying, and it was such an amazing match, and it felt like it was like an organized, like, final game for him. It was. The crowd was into it, like, and his emotions at the end, like, it. And it all happened very naturally. Yeah. So. And then just to realize, like, how many Belgians were there for it. And, like, we had goosebumps. Like, everybody that was sitting in his box, like, we were all kind of just like, overwhelmed with, like, the support and the crowd, like, was cheering for him and there was a lot of Belgian flags and people with like, yeah, Belgian colors, you know, makeup on their face. And so it just. Those are the moments that kind of bring me back to, like. Oh, yeah. Like, I remember that, like, you know, that kind of atmosphere when I played here as a junior even, or, and then as, you know, 25 years ago. And it's just a really. Yeah. Even for a Belgian. Like, we're not French, but we're so close. That and especially for David, like, who speaks is a French spoken Belgian. They really embrace them. And that was really cool to see yesterday.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

So what you're saying is you've taken a lot of selfies with people over

[Kim Clijsters]

the past couple of days.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

Yeah, got it.

[Kim Clijsters]

Yeah. So it's like, oh, man. Yeah, I just forget about it. I'm so used to living life in New Jersey and, you know, just like, do my thing and nobody cares and then. But yeah, I love the part where I can be, like, on the court and helping, you know, some players and those who want it. And so, yeah, it's nice. Maybe it's also more exciting because I haven't been to a tournament in a long while since my foot injury. Right. So it's just kind of nice to catch up with some people, too.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

That is awesome. Well, cannot wait to hear more. Also in confirmation today, just a little tease. I am going to get your favorite three things about the Roland Garros site circa 2026, because as you mentioned, things have changed a lot around the ground. So cannot wait to get your list there. But of course we are going to have our headlines today. So much happened last week, so much going into next week, which is the start of Roland Garros, of course. And then I want to pick your brain as usual, Kim, but let's start our headlines, shall we?

[Kim Clijsters]

Yes, please.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

Henley's headlines, if you will. TM Copy. Is it tm, the trademark? Can we get our official trademark team on Henley's headlines? Okay, gonna get some merch. This week we've got the Hamburg 500, Geneva 250 for the men, Strasbourg and Rabat for the women. But last week it was all about Rome and 31 year old Alina Spitolina earning her 20th title, her third title in Rome, her first 2018, her first WTA 1000 title since having her daughter sky in late 2022. And she beat three reigning Grand Slam champions to win that title, Rybakinatek. And golf in the final. That was in a span of four days, which Is absolutely mind blowing from a physical perspective. All three matches went three sets and Svitolina now joins Venus Williams, IGA Witek Aryna Sabalenka and Vika Azarenka as the only active players to win 20 plus titles. And I did not double check this. I think this is correct though, that Spitolina and Azarenka are the only two mothers to win 1000 titles post maternity leave after our very own Kim Kleisters,

[Kim Clijsters]

which is really cool.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

Yeah, yeah, that's pretty neat. A very exclusive.

[Kim Clijsters]

Go mom.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

Go mom. So as a lot of threes, third title this season, now she's number three in the race, if you can believe that she's had. That's her third title of the season. Season, so. And also third win over Coco this season, which was notable as well. So a few questions about this from me. Kim Alina has really reinvented herself post baby in a way that, yeah, I mean we knew she was a career high number three in the world, I believe, prior to maternity leave and was always one of those players that you knew was sort of going to be around in the second week of slams, but maybe not a player you ever believed to could win one. And now she comes out 2.0 and has the consistency, the fitness, but also this attacking game as well. And I just was wondering if you could put that in perspective A, how hard that is and maybe B, if you had any of the same feelings when you came back after having Jada, did you think, okay, clean slate, no pressure. People. People don't think I can do anything after having a baby anyway. Might as well make some changes?

[Kim Clijsters]

Yes and no. I think clean slate in a way. But you also have so many things to think back about or to compare back to and you use that to say, okay, this is where physically I want to get to. This is where like my trainer, you know, my, my, who was also my fitness coach, but also my chiropractor and physio, he, like, we knew all the numbers right, from, from speed and agility drills that I would do on court, from weights that I was doing on court. Literally, like fat measurements. Like, we had all the numbers and so we knew kind of like, okay, you was open, you know, 2000, whatever. Like, this was her number. Okay, this is like he thinks I can still get better than that. And so we start. The great thing about being on maternity leave is that you. All your aches and pains that you had and that you kind of just push through and you kind of deal with a little bit, you can really start working like you can. You start from scratch when it comes to rebuilding your body. So you can really work on, you know, getting the back of that shoulder stronger. You can work on the core. You can work on, oh, this hamstring's been bothering me for years. When I do a little bit too much, like, those kind of things, I was able to really attack with my team when it comes to tennis. She definitely invented herself when it comes, like, the way that she hits her forehead now, like, she never did that before, at least not as consistent as consistently as she is now. So when she was working with Raymond Sluyter from the Netherlands, I also, you know, like, I think there was a big switch that happened in her. Like, you cannot win these big tournaments unless you become the one that's attacking. She, she. She has great legs. She's fit. She can play seven, you know, seven three setters in a Grand Slam if she has to and be totally fine. But if you don't have the power to compete against these top players now, the Sabalenkas, the Igas, the Rybakinas, like, that was her biggest weakness. So she's been really able to adjust that. And especially with the forehand and with the wheels that she has that combination of. Yeah, once you get into a forehand, you're under pressure, and that's something where I feel like she's made the biggest. The biggest jump in the last couple of years since she had her daughter. So it's really interesting to see. But I guess they say you get wiser as you get older, and I think that happens as a tennis player as well. Your fitness. I think she's fitter, if not as fit as before. But I think you also learn from being away from the game, from watching the game on tv, listening to people talk about the sport. And, you know, I know Gael is also her husband. I'm sure having his support and his voice of reason as a player also helps a lot. So it's really, you know, she hits with him a lot. Like, we've seen videos online of them hitting together. So to have that kind of intensity and speed coming at you from a male player, I think is also helping her when she playing players that hit the ball hard and like a koku with some more topspin. And so these are all things that are kind of working in her favor right now. And it's. It's really great to see. And yeah, wasn't it great how the message that he. Did you see the message that Gael. Kim.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

Kim. Okay. I was gonna. I had other questions to ask you about Elena, but since you brought this up, we're gonna go down this path, and then we'll come back. Do you remember the days of Gem's life? Their joint Instagram account?

[Kim Clijsters]

Oh, yes.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

Yes. So Gems standing for Gail, Alina, Monfis, and Svitolina. Yes, Gems. And then they broke up, and everybody was devastated because Gems Life was no more. And then they were back together. Then they got married in 2021, had a baby in 2022, and they are.

[Kim Clijsters]

I didn't know they broke up.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

Yeah. Yes, they broke up, and Jem's life was no more. And then they were back together. I mean, I hope that's correct. I hope I'm not spreading misinformation, but I knew this because Gems Life. Gems Life bit the dust for a short time. But can I ask permission, Kim, to do a dramatic reading of this Instagram post that Gail did for Alina? Okay.

[Kim Clijsters]

For those who didn't, Love Letter.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

I feel like we need some Parisian. What's that? What's the instrument that you. Yeah. Okay. Well, we'll see. We'll see if Sean and Ella and our editors can add in some music. Here we go. Eight years. Eight years to climb back to the top of a Masters 1000. What a season. What a week. What a player. But above all, what a woman. An incredible mom to sky, an exceptional athlete. A soul like no other. I'm so proud of you, my love. Of your strength, your calm, of everything you carry quietly day after day. You inspire me every single day. Enjoy this. Soak it all in. You deserve every second of it. I love you. Heart emoji. Oh, my God.

[Kim Clijsters]

The hairs on the back of my neck are like.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

Like it's. It's not even in French. I mean, he did that in his second language, like Gail. What a. What a man. I just thought that that was lovely. I think that their relationship is. Is lovely. I mean, Gael is. Is just one of the. He. He just has In. In my career, always been so incredibly kind and gregarious and giving of his. And Alina is maybe slightly more reserved, but I think he's brought that out in her as well. And I think probably her intensity has been helpful to him as well. So it's just a really good example of how they've balanced each other out, and it's been so fun to watch.

[Kim Clijsters]

Yeah, that's true what you say. I think his personality of being at times even a goofball a little bit on the court and using the Crowd's energy and where she at times could. We've seen her in the past in close matches, sometimes emotionally, not always handle it the right way or kind of be overwhelmed by the occasion. And I think he has been really good at kind of teaching her to just let go of what's just happened. If it's negative, just let it go onto the next. And, yeah, I do think that he's kind of helped her mature on the tennis court by being more laid back, in a sense. And I think the other way around, I think she's been able to teach him what it's like to be locked in more, the dedication to the sport and not get distracted. And so, yeah, it's a really good partnership and to see it come together like it is now on court where she. I think when she came back from her motherhood, I don't think a lot of people were expecting the change. It's not like that she wasn't a good player. She was a great player before. But to see the changes that she's made to her tennis and to become top of the list of hard hitters now, especially with that forehand and the serve has gotten so much more aggressive and better as well. So I don't think. Yeah, I definitely didn't expect that. And so just to see her develop it in the last couple of years and take more and more risks and now to become. It takes time to change that, right? Like, you're gonna make some more mistakes because you're getting pulled out of your comfort zone at times a little bit more, but now it's falling into place and she's feeling more and more comfortable and with playing that game style, and she's just more consistent and it's paying off. So the belief is there and you see that even when she wins, it's like she's happy and excited, but then it's like she goes on and shakes hands and there's like a respect and a maturity that has come with it with becoming a mom, too, I think. And it's really, really good to see. So very interesting to see with that confidence that you build up at a tournament like Rome, how. How can she carry that with her into the French Open where you can, you know, she's going to be looked at as a. As a title, you know, defender, like a title contender.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

They're going to be like the it couple of Raleigh G this year. I mean, we have Gael and friends during fan week or Quali's week coming up. I think soon in just the Next couple of days where he's going to be out on court with a variety of different players and special appearances. It's his last Roland Garros. He wrote another post about how sad it was to be going out to. To train for his. His final Roland Garros, which. Another tearjerker. Like, oh, my gosh. But that. I do wonder. I feel like that's a lot. Granted, they are veterans. It's not like they haven't experienced pressure and media attention before, but I do think it's going to be next level at Roland Garros, probably for both of them.

[Kim Clijsters]

Yeah. And it's, you know, like, even when I was sitting on Suzanne Long Glencore during David Goffins match, right. Like, I'm sitting there and I'm like, wow. Like, you know, he's playing his first round Qualys. Okay. The stadium was completely packed. And you think like, yeah, like, you know, these have been great players like that. David is up for this, you know, to. To go all out and to give it one more shot. Like, you can see how much it means to them. Whether it is first round qualys or it's a main draw. Like, it. The feeling is the same. It's the love for the sport is trying to push yourself to play great tennis. And, you know, you always kind of hope or you believe that, you know, there's one more great run left in it. Right. And for him, too. Like, he's going to have the crowd support. He's going to be entertaining. Yeah. So it will be very interesting to see the draw when it comes out, to see, like, you know, does he have a good draw? Like, who can he. You know, that's going to be the fun part about it, too. So it's a lot. A lot of fun stories, I think. And. Yeah. And the crowds are going to be all in for it and I feel it. And now they're already talking. People talk about it. And you see, I saw Artur Fil in the players restaurant and just the vibe around him now, like, you can see, like, how that's shifted. You know, when he walks around. Yeah. When he walks around in the players area and it's like, it's really nice to see and it's. Yeah. Something fresh and new again. Like, he brings something different than a lot of players do.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

Yeah. Okay. Circling back, we had a little aside for the gems life of it all. But circling back, I do want to mention that Alina has also done all of this while supporting Ukraine. She has her own foundation for Juniors playing tennis in Ukraine. And so to see Marta Kostyuk be the champion in Madrid and then Alina Svitolina as the champion in Rome was really neat for that storyline as well, because they have put in so much work and effort and time off the court to support tennis players and beyond in their home country. So just wanted to note that before I ask you a follow up question on Alina, which is to say people talk about Coco Gauff and her athleticism and. Yes. Is she arguably the best athlete on the WTA Tour? Yes. I think Alina Svitolina comes close. I was watching an interview that she did where she said if she didn't play tennis, she would probably be a track athlete. She had a trainer when she was young who started off in track and I guess maybe instilled some of those track basics in her. And you can totally see that the, just the fitness level and the anticipation and I mean, that was such a physical final for you. Is, is it possible, and I wonder even about this with Coco, that extreme athleticism can actually be a handicap because, you know, in the back of your mind that you can outlast just about anyone. Do you have to almost override because, because you had that sort of like base level, incredible athleticism as well. Did you have to override that to get that aggressive side as well?

[Kim Clijsters]

Yeah, because I think early on in my career I would kind of fall back a little bit too much on, hey, let me, you know, if I'm playing an opponent that hits the ball aggressive, let me just back up a little bit and kind of wait for them, like, I'll return, I'll get a lot of shots back and wait for them to make the mistake. That's good. Up until a certain level where, you know, your opponents become more consistent and they, they, yeah, they learn to come in and they, you know, they, they just learn how to deal with that. And, and so I had to learn to play closer on top of my baseline. And once I felt that, that then the combination of physically being being able to play tennis where you're on top of your baseline, reading your opponents, being strong and fit enough to get in and out of the corners, it takes time and work physically, but that's, I noticed that in the finals, Vitalina was, I almost think does that better than Coco because Coco does get pulled back and she runs so well from side to side. And even if she has a drop shot to get to, she can get at a time. And so I do think you can, you can kind of forget that you have to move back in closer because you feel comfortable, because you have a little bit more time.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

Right.

[Kim Clijsters]

So, you know, being super athletic and fit is the first thing for me was that it taught me was I don't have to worry about not being able to last in hot climates in these tough conditions to recover after a long match and come back two days later in a Grand Slam. Like, that's the number one thing that as an athlete in tennis you have to be able to check off. Right? It's like, can I do this physically if I want to win in a Grand Slam? And so it is a big confidence booster too. So, you know, it's. Yeah, but the sport, I feel like the game has changed so much and you have to be able to be the aggressor. And if you can play, and I'm talking in meters now, but if you're playing a meter behind the baseline or, or you can play, you know, a foot behind the baseline makes a big difference across the net, you know, for your opponents. Like the intensity of your shot and the way that you're, you know, using your angles and the pressure on your opponent makes such a big difference. So interesting. Yeah, it's important. But in moments like when there's nerves and tension and being able to get an extra ball back because you're super athletic and you can throw it up and there's, you know, the crowd gets into it. Like, you'll draw mistakes from your opponents as well. So it helps a lot in those kind of situations, too.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

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[Kim Clijsters]

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[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

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[Kim Clijsters]

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[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

Bonjour, compadre.

[Kim Clijsters]

It's the Priceline negotiator.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

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[Kim Clijsters]

pools and spas and beachfronts and.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

Wait, I'm not done. Stop cutting me up. At first, I didn't think it was real. I Woke up to this blinding light, and I was transported to another place. Pluto tv. Then I heard a voice. Come with me if you want to live. There were thousands of movies and shows, and they were all free. Truth isn't. It's just so Beautiful on Pluto TV. Free streaming of Terminator 2, Fringe Arrow,

[Kim Clijsters]

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[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

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[Kim Clijsters]

Never.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

All right, moving on to Coco Goff, who was hilarious after. After losing. It was so interesting to see. Like, we saw her really at a. At a low point early in the week. Said she was struggling with some things off the court. She reaches the final overall, has a pretty solid tournament. And on social media. Did you see her talking about her top five nightmares?

[Kim Clijsters]

No, I did not.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

Number one, sitting through a trophy ceremony after you lose.

[Kim Clijsters]

Oh, yes, I saw that.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

Yes. Number two, talking after you lose. Number three, smiling with the finalist trophy. Number four, sitting through the trophy ceremony when you lose. And number five, the ceremony when you lose.

[Kim Clijsters]

And then she was like, hey, guys. Just to. I don't, like, get people annoyed or, like, pissed off at me. Like, this was kind of a joke, right?

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

I know. Poor.

[Kim Clijsters]

But it's.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

Yes, it's true.

[Kim Clijsters]

Did you.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

Has there. Can you. I mean, gosh, I. I imagine you can think of a trophy ceremony where you're waiting for them to set it up and you would rather be anywhere else. Were you a crier after a loss

[Kim Clijsters]

when I was younger? Not once. I think once I got older, just more frustrated and annoyed. Right. I think that was more my first four Grand Slam finals that I lost the first one here against Capriati. It was so new, and everything was just. I mean, it was so unexpected that I made the final, that it was even. Like, I was happy even after I lost. Like, it was just such an amazing experience. But then afterwards, when I kept losing to just slam final. Yeah, it did not feel the same. Like, oh, my God. Like, but it's a weird feeling because the. On the human side, you see her happy. And I've known her from when we were, you know, eight, nine years old. Like, you see that. That's like happiness, pure happiness. Right? Like, you can see that from somebody. But then at the same time, like, I'm feeling disgusted with myself because, you know, I wasn't able to play my best tennis. And so I didn't feel like, oh, you know, like, it was like a fair game almost, like. And that's What I was the most like disappointed with. And then you have to do that. Like you have to, you know, you kind of smile and be like, ugh, like I don't want this trophy either. Like, like I don't want to.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

I will say nothing is more charming, Nothing in my opinion is a more instant attractor of fans than when someone can give a funny and charming finalist speech. I mean, we're going to talk about Caspar Rud in a second. But Caspar Rude's finalist speech was also incredibly funny and charming. Casper is like a 47 year old in a 27 year old's body. But anyway, we're going to talk more about Casper. I feel like he should be like a dad in suburbia. But I do want to ask about Coco and what her performance in your opinion means for Roland Garros. It would seem like that's a pretty good setup to potentially defend.

[Kim Clijsters]

Yeah, a great setup. I think she, she got out of these, you know, the pre Roland Garris tournaments what she wanted. She's playing well. She's, I feel like her serve was better. Yeah. Which is what she needs as well. And you know, a lot of people have been talking about that and so I do think confidence wise, she's at a level where, you know, where it was different a few months ago. So that's, that's good to see. And even though it's a loss against Vitalina, I do think she left that match and be like, you know, I can beat her. It's not like she got beat off the court and I think that's always a good feeling to have as well. So yeah, I think she had great, great preparation and is, is kind of happy to have it take a couple of days now and get to Paris and, and, and, and adjust to the new surroundings. And then, you know, I think from tomorrow onwards it's going to be nice and hot and they're expecting a kind of summer temperature. So yeah, the whole energy will be different then too. So it's always kind of nice once you get to that Grand Slam to, to be, to be focused and, and to kind of just start with, okay, it's one match at a time. Kind of that attitude and not really think about what happened and not think about ahead what's coming and, and that's something that she's been used to here. So it's going to be exciting. I think for a while. Like we, you know, people were talking about Sabalenka Rybakina, but it's nice to see now for the first time, I feel like since a few Grand Slams that we're looking at. Yeah, let's see Coco iga. Like, let's see the competition. And so that will be interesting to see in these next few weeks.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

Oh, it's funny. I was going to ask you. I was going to ask if you had an overall pick for the women's side because I am already mentally, I have moved on to the moment where we have to fill out our served brackets and I'm.

[Kim Clijsters]

Are we doing that still?

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

I don't.

[Kim Clijsters]

I assume I get disqualified after my last.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

Still a thing. Kim. Kim took one for the team. Kim was intentionally poor with her pick so that I wasn't the worst.

[Kim Clijsters]

I had like foils in my hair or something. I was like, somewhere in a hair salon. I was like, where do you want. I'm like, like, don't know this player. All right, let's. Might be an upset. Let's go for it.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

Amazing. Wait, so. So if you had to pick a women's champ right now, could you lean one way or another? No, I know it's like flip a coin. It's.

[Kim Clijsters]

It is.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

I. I am tempted to feel like I look a lot at sort of the lead up. Like to me, if I were Yonik Sinner, that would spell disaster for me at Roland Garros. Cause I'm like, at some point and Casper Rude actually said that. He said, listen, it's kind of nice playing him at this point because you know, statistically speaking, the loss is going to eventually come and if it hasn't come yet, maybe it could be the

[Kim Clijsters]

chances will get bigger. It's going to.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

Exactly. Which I thought was such a good way to look at it. But I, I think that Coco in turn, and this is something I want to ask you about in confirmation later, but in terms of building, I. You just explained it. I feel like she has built really well coming into Roland Garros, which is so hard to do, especially with two week Masters. I don't understand how players are doing it. So yeah, I don't know. Flip a coin. It's hard to bet against IGA though, if IGA is. Is playing well.

[Kim Clijsters]

Especially like when I saw her play against Naomi, the way that she. That was insane. Like the level that she played in that match was incredible. The way that she, like her forehand running around her forehand just super aggressive. The serve high statistics. Like it was almost like the perfect match that she played there. So when she gets to that level against, you know, the top players Again, it's. Yeah, on clay, she's. She's going to be very hard to beat if she can get to that level. But that's the thing. It's so hard to consistently play like that. Right. And so, yeah, yeah. It's almost weird like, to think like, maybe Saba Lanka is, you know, maybe just a little bit below like an IGA and a Coco at the moment. And that's almost weird to say just by going off her last kind of friend, like her clay court results and the way that she was playing, it's not even like a loss here and there can happen, but it's just. Yeah, her shots just don't hurt as much and the intensity does just is not like as. As dictating on, on these, on these clay courts.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

Okay. I mentioned Jannik, but we're just gonna, we're just gonna give the stats and I was trying to think of a different question I could ask you because I feel like the things that have been said have been said by just about everyone at this point. All the superlatives have been thrown out. But he, of course, completed the Masters 1000 box set at 24 years old, which is seven years earlier than Novak Djokovic did it. And gosh, he. He went into this season having never won a Clay Masters 1000 and he just won three straight and only Rafa Nadal has ever done that in a single season, and that was back in 2010. He's won six straight Masters 1000s from. This is a stat from TNT. Since October of 2023, Sinner has more titles than losses, 21 to 16. We. We did see him look potentially physically. I love how you're just laughing at that. It's ridiculous. It's insane.

[Kim Clijsters]

But it looks. He make. That's. Yeah, he makes it look so easy.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

Yeah. Well, yes. And. But there was that one match in Rome against Medvedev where he maybe did physically look a little bit vulnerable. Did it matter in the end one.

[Kim Clijsters]

Blair.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

Yeah, I know, Kim. I know.

[Kim Clijsters]

You know what I mean?

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

Like, yeah, he yacked and still won.

[Kim Clijsters]

Just physically say stay strong even when he was throwing up or something. Right. Like, like, but just to physically, like, just stay strong through it mentally, the expectation, like. And we've seen, we've heard Serena in the past talk about it, like, once you get to that, like, level, there's a lot of players who play out of their mind against you. Right. They have nothing to lose. They play free. And like he plays against those players all the time. And, and just from Start to finish, knows what to do is just. Yeah. Really, really. It's so impressive. And, and I think for like, like somebody like me, like a former player, like, I think it means even more like, you know, I feel like a lot of people like in the, in the fans and like, oh, cinder one again. Like it's like. Yeah, but like just to know, you know what it's like. Yes. How much it means and how hard that is to, to be so locked in and not get distracted and, and stick to your routine and, and you know, everything that comes with it. Right. The food, the preparations, the recovery, the sleep, the. I mean the whole team has to be on point. It's, it's, it's insane actually.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

His whole team matches it. How do you feel about the dressing the same as a team. Is that the sign of a well oiled ma when your team dresses the same?

[Kim Clijsters]

I think so. And I think he probably want, maybe he wants that, right? Like I made my uncle wear. Not like this, a shirt.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

Listen, I didn't know where this was going. Okay.

[Kim Clijsters]

I made my uncle wear green pants for almost three weeks straight. Like just because I was so superstitious. So maybe Janik is like superstitious about everybody wearing the same thing and maybe no distractions in the box like when you look over or something. But yeah, so in Brisbane 2011, my uncle wore like fluorescent green pants and I win my first round and everybody in the team was like, knew that I was superstitious and I was like, all right, you gotta keep wearing those same pants. He's like, I do. I was like, yeah, okay. He said, I will. He said, I'll keep wearing them until you win the Australian Open and I won't even wash them, he said. So I was like, okay, deal. Yes. So yeah, he would be wearing shorts and then before my match he would go wear his. Put his green pants on.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

And it worked.

[Kim Clijsters]

Worked and it worked. I ended up winning Brisbane and I won the Aussie Open.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

It's as simple as that, folks. Green pants, green pants. I love that story, Kim, but yeah, no, I mean we know that when it comes to his team, Jannik is paying attention to what they're doing. We, we saw last fall during, Gosh, was it maybe Paris one, One of the, maybe Shanghai, one of those masters where they were not standing up quickly enough. They were not, they were not quick enough with the encouragement. And he's like, wake up people. So he's, he's paying attention to all the little things and I think he can seem so Sort of unbothered. But to. To know that he's paying attention to those little details and still doing what he's doing is. Is really mind blowing. So unreal. Casper Rude. Do you think Casper Rood could potentially make it back to or Roland Garros final? He's already had two under his belt.

[Kim Clijsters]

I do, I do think so.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

He's playing. He's playing better tennis.

[Kim Clijsters]

Right. And I always, I've always been very interested about, you know, male players who become a dad and to see like how that changes. You know, like there's a lot of moms and obviously the moms on tour and the changes that it makes physically. But I always, I'm very interested, like how, you know, a male player who becomes a dad, like, how does that affect them, you know, mentally and traveling more or, you know, maybe not being with the family all the time. And I don't know how that. So that could be fun. Maybe one day should ask if he wants to come on and talk about that.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

I would love it. No, Casper was, as I was mentioning before, he's 27, but he just sort of operates in sort of the way he looks like you feel like he should be wearing a vest in, you know, the Hamptons or something. But he. Did you hear his finalist speech when he lost to Jannik where he said he congratulated the Italian Federation for all the great work that they were doing, which I thought was. I don't know why I thought that was so funny, but also like a great note because they are doing an incredible job.

[Kim Clijsters]

He's an iconic the Davis cup for like the last three years or something or.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

Yes. And then he said, too bad, I'm paraphrasing here. Too bad your soccer team is not also having this sort of success if they're losing to Norway. Like, you know, things are bad. And it was just like so good natured and funny and just credit to Casper for just his consistency. And also, I think too, I was reading one of his press conferences. His backhand has traditionally, you know, he. He's been a forehand attacking player and the backhand tends to sort of float through the middle third of the court. But he was talking about maybe using the down the line backhand a little bit more so that people don't get comfortable, especially guys who also like their forehands camping out righties camping out in that, that far side of the court. So anyway, it just, I think credit to the players who are in sort of the middle portion of their career and who are trying to figure out, okay, what. How do I get better if I continue to do this? It's never going to get any better than this. And so I got to take some risks. And so I'm curious to see if he can back it up at Roland Garros.

[Kim Clijsters]

Right. A little bit like Zverev, too, right? Where he has to try to be. Yeah, a little bit more aggressive or at times. So it's.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

I mean, that's essentially what Yannick Sinner did at the US Open when he lost last fall. And he was like, you know what? I'm going to make some changes. I'm going to throw in some drop shots. I'm going to put in more variety. And then, you know, he turns into a cyborg, so works out.

[Kim Clijsters]

And that's the. That's the. The crazy thing with tennis. I feel like a lot of times, you know, you have a certain routine and it gets you to a level that is. Is great, right? Is high, like Casper Root, Grand Slam finalist, and beating a lot of, you know, the top players. But then that. That change. Okay, what do I need to change if I want to even take that next step? Like, it's verif even, and it's. It's, you know, do I. Of course you want to change, but what is it? How do I do that? Like, it's. It's not just. It's not as easy when you've had the same routine and you can rely on your skill and get to a great. And get so close where you think, like, y. It has to be good enough. If I can get to these finals, you know, I should be able to win. But sometimes, yeah, the weaknesses, and it sounds like a big word, but they're so minor that they. But they can have a really big impact on the court and that sometimes, you know, and it takes time. It can take months to a year, even more than that, to get those changes, to feel like they're part of your game and that they're normal and that you don't feel like out of your comfort zone because you're trying to adjust something. And I think, you know, read some. Or listened to some of Zverev, his interviews and conf. His press conferences is like, he talks about that. He's like, yeah, I'm trying to, you know, at times be a little bit more aggressive, but it, you know, it feels comfortable sometimes and sometimes it doesn't. And so that's, you know, the mental side of playing and believing in yourself and is, yeah, it's. There's A fine line between pushing yourself and, and being yourself on, on court.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

That was a quote from Murat Safin this week coaching Andre Rublev. This was during his straight sets loss to center in the Rome quarters. He said, I can't understand why you can't understand that you can beat him. And then he dropped an F bomb for good measure. And it was it, it. To, to your point. It, it, you have to believe that it's possible and then you have to be able to execute. And the combination of those two things is for some players might not be possible. Right?

[Kim Clijsters]

No. But sometimes it is also just as simple as that. Right. Like the way that Marat says it, like if I believe that you can do it, why can't you believe it? Like it's sometimes that simple. But we as tennis players a lot of times overthink a lot of things because there's so many triggers and so many information that comes in that it can be. Yeah, again, I'm going to use it like a pinball machine. You know, when there's five balls coming down, it goes tilt and you try to push it a little bit.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

Tilt.

[Kim Clijsters]

Like it's, that's what happens too on, on the court. And yeah, it's, it's a mental game. That's why they say everybody at this level can play tennis and plays really, really well. But it's the mental game that, that makes a huge difference at probably the biggest difference.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

AI is moving fast across the enterprise, but without visibility, it's just chaos. Different tools, different models, different teams using AI in completely different ways. ServiceNow turns that chaos into control. With the AI control tower, you see all your AI across the business in one place, what it's doing, what it's done and what it's about to do. Service. So you stay in control. To put AI to work for people, visit servicenow.com all right, Wimfacet, we've been wondering where he was going to land and now we know, at least on a temporary basis it is with Canada's Vicki Mboko who split with her everyday coach, Maxime Chutakian. She was also working with Natalie Tozia who took a full time role with, with Tennis Canada. I'm interested to see how that partnership goes.

[Kim Clijsters]

Very, very. I heard he was also working with a Chinese guy for a little bit for a few tournaments.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

So there you go. I see. I didn't even know that. Kim. Thank you.

[Kim Clijsters]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

College tennis. Quick update for the men. Virginia NCAA team champions though. That by the way, was the team that successfully recruited both Rafa Hodar and Joel Fonseca didn't.

[Kim Clijsters]

They did.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

They never got Joel. They got Rafa for one semester. But they're still national champions, though, so. So prop to props to them. They beat Texas. And then on the women's side, Texas A and M took out Auburn and Carson Brandstein, who we had on the pod just a couple of weeks ago, who helped A and M win their first national championship title in 2024. She's like, Build us an indoor facility. Come on, Texas A and M. Pour the money in. Give. Give those players an indoor facility. I think that's a. Only. Only fair for few win a national.

[Kim Clijsters]

What are they called again?

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

The Aggies.

[Kim Clijsters]

The Aggies, yes.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

Do you know, I've never been heckled worse than I was heckled at Texas A and M in college tennis, and I was heckled. I got heckled, and it was by far the worst when we played at A and M. So how did you

[Kim Clijsters]

react under heckle circumstances?

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

I am like the duck in a pond. Looks very peaceful on the surface. I look very unbothered on the surface. And inside, underneath the water, it is absolute tilt, total tilt. It is full tilt. My teammates used to make fun of me because they would say they would do an invitation of me getting upset at myself, and it would be like, oh, Blair. And that would be as upset as I would get on the surface, but I was an internal disaster area.

[Kim Clijsters]

So anyway, like, would you show anything on. On, like, tennis wise? Like, would you rush in between points? Would you, like, overhit? Would you slow down? Like. Like. Like, did you.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

I would choke him. I. I was the least.

[Kim Clijsters]

The least.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

And I had. I had. Did I have clutch moments here and there? Yes. But I would describe myself as one of the least clutch players consistent. And I physically. Like I was asking you that. That athletic question before, because that, again, on a much lower level, was something I really struggled with, is because I knew physically I could outlast 9.5 out of 10 people. Like, I could hang physically. But when it came to beating the top, top echelon of college players, I had to be free to hit the ball, and I just could not free it up when it got tight anyway, so.

[Kim Clijsters]

So just. I mean, it just kind of popped up into my head now early on when I started dating Leighton and he was working with Darren. Seeing Leighton, who was, I guess, one of the fittest right out there for years, the drills that he was doing is what I also started doing. And it also. It just changes your mindset about. About the Sport of tennis. Like, he would do so many two against ones and beat two against one. Like, win.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

Really?

[Kim Clijsters]

Yes, because he just wouldn't miss.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

Wow.

[Kim Clijsters]

And he would run every ball down. He just wouldn't miss two against ones. And it was Darren and I sometimes. Sometimes two other guys. Like, and. And, yeah, it was insane just to see the. The. The mindset of that it takes. Right. Because your shot doesn't have the same intense or it doesn't hurt as much. Right. Like, as it does when you're playing one against one. So just the mindset of just hanging in there and waiting for your opponent to make the mistake and playing, you know, the court and the angles, and it was just like you. I learned so much. And. And just. Yeah, it just interesting, you know, the harder it is in practice, like, I guess that's what I'm trying to say. Like, the harder you can create your practices, the easier it will be in matches.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

All right, moving on to Kim formation. Okay. A question that I alluded to a little bit earlier, but I would love to know Kim. And granted, things have changed since you played because of these longer Masters tournaments in the lead up to these Slams, but how does a tennis player try to peak for a Grand Slam? Because I just feel like it would be so incredibly difficult given that you're playing matches. You can't taper like a runner would, and you can't build like a runner would. So how do you do it?

[Kim Clijsters]

How do you do it? I think it's the real. The real structure of it, I feel like, is already made in the preseason when it comes to the physical buildup that you. Or the physical focus that there is at that time. Right. And everything else throughout the year is maintaining. And it's, you know, maybe in between surface changes, there's some adjustments when it comes to, you know, on the clay court. Rallies may take a little bit longer, so you might do your intervals a little bit longer. But I think the most important thing for me was in the. In the off season, that's where I did most of my running, my longer distance runs. So for the two weeks of a Grand Slam, I feel like the few days before I started really kind of slowing down. Like, I would do an hour, an hour and a half of really intensity tennis. I would do some maintenance in the gym, and that was it. And it was more about mentally just being fully rested. But most of the work physically is already done early, is already done early on, and it's more about just really taking good care of yourself and focusing Good on having good routines with your food and just, yeah, just. That's become. That became more important during, you know, as I got older, was just making sure that you, you do the recovery. Recovery very well. And I never held back because I was playing smaller tournaments or, you know, like, I just, I wanted to be pushed and I had to feel what that was like. And like, hey, if I'm playing a five set, not a five setter, like, but if I was five all in the third set, am I still as accurate with my serve? Am I still as accurate with my winners? If I'm trying to go for a forehand inside out? And those are the moments where you learn so much from as well. So, yeah, it's to me, all that work. The most important part was in the preseason. And then you just try to fine tune your tennis, you know, the few weeks before and make sure that you're just well rested enough.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

Yeah, that's, gosh, the big picture perspective that you have to have to be thinking about the preseason when we're five, you know, six, seven, eight months away from that is really crazy.

[Kim Clijsters]

And that's why, like, you hire, you know, really good people and smart people who can help you with this. Right. It's your tennis coach and your fitness coach need to be on the same, like, on the same page and knowing like, okay, this is what we're working on now and we're focusing a little bit more in fitness. And then when we get closer to, you know, the bigger tournaments, tennis takes. Takes the priority, but you still want to keep, you know, working on your weaknesses in your body, but also getting stronger and faster and making sure that your endurance is strong and like, big enough to. To. To last on. On. On court. So to me, it was almost like, you know, I had blind trust in, you know, my, my trainer, Sam. Yeah. Because I knew like every week you

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

had blind trust, but you knew you hired a good person. You hired the good person and then you could have blind trust.

[Kim Clijsters]

Right.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

But I already going to.

[Kim Clijsters]

Yes, but I already knew him. Like, he was a local guy, like from my hometown in Bree, and I knew him already before, and we had a really good connection when it came to trusting somebody. And I, you know, he doesn't come from tennis, but he was so observant and he just wanted to learn and he just knew me. And he would stand on court and he could, could see and. Yeah, just, you know. Yeah. When my heart rate was up, was it through nerves or through. Yeah, just being exhausted or heat or whatever. It Was. And then he would just try to. Yeah, just imitate it as much as possible on a treadmill or outside or on court. And we just. Yeah. Blind trust. There was. I don't want to. I didn't want to worry about, you know, what should my heart rate be? You know, like, they tell me they stand on the side of the court, and. And I kind of just do what I was, you know, did what I was told. And there was a lot of frustration because there's times where you're doing so much, not saying lifting, but, like, strengthening that. I would do some stuff before prac tennis practice as well, and I would get so frustrated with them and be like, sam, I can't hit two forehands in the court, like, and feel my arm properly. Like, I'm two weeks away from the US Open. Like, what's going on? He's like, no, no. Like, give me a few more days, and then you'll start to feel like you need to recover. And so I'm like, okay, that was 2009. And, yeah, it works. Like, there's science behind it, too. And then, you know, it's just really. When you work like Sinner is doing now. And I feel like I had that for a few years as well. Like, when you work with a team where everybody is in communication, I'm in communication with the team. They're communicating with each other, and they're on the same page, and they're respectful to each other. If you don't, you know, if you sometimes don't agree with one another, like, that's when you know you're in that flow, that natural flow, where it kind of all runs smoothly. And that doesn't mean that it's not hard, but it just runs smoothly when there is struggles. And that's the best part, when things can go that way.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

Would you like to give us your three favorite things about the Roland Garros site?

[Kim Clijsters]

I would.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

Okay, go for it.

[Kim Clijsters]

To me, there's a couple of things that are maybe not, like, so physical, but it's. For me, personally, what I experienced with David Goffin brought me back a lot, and I mentioned it at the start of the show, is the connection to the Belgian crowd. Seeing that, like, seeing David go through that, like, seeing. I was watching Yeleen van Droma, our U.S. open Junior Champion from last year. She's playing here in the Qualys for the first time and just seeing the stadium, like, you know, she was on a smaller court, but it's packed. Like, there's Belgians Lining up. And I don't think you under, like people don't understand enough. It's not a home grand slam, but it makes a big difference knowing, you know, having that support from so many people. So that, that was my number one. Then I would say my second favorite. I'm gonna keep my third one as a, it's a food one. I'm gonna try to take a picture of it maybe later this week because they haven't been open a lot of the, the boutiques weren't open yet in the lead up tournaments, the lead up days. But the second one is the tunnel under Susan Lundland. Like, do you know that it's like a lift? It opens and closes. Yeah, yeah. So I think that's a really cool kind of feature. And, and one of my, and it's not some, it's not my favorite because it usually means that you're injured. But I feel like the medical staff is, has always been very, very, very good here.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

Oh, nice.

[Kim Clijsters]

They have a lot of equipment on, on site when it comes like, yeah, machinery and you can get tests done very easily and they're super professional. And so that was as a player, always a big bonus knowing that you're in really, really good hands. And then my favorite is the crepes. I saw a few stands on as I was walking around the site were the crepes. And I can smell it. Right. And the thing is like, it's busy even on the qualifying days. Like Amelie Moreesma was saying that, that they're expecting 20,000 people a day during qualifying. And it's, it's a lot smaller of a venue than let's say the US Open in New York. But yeah, they, they're lowering the prices. I think it's now 15. It was €15 for kids under 15 years old. And then everything else was I think 28 or €29 for the day. So they're drawing in a lot of people and, and it's, it's yeah, really, really nice to see. So that's amazing. And do you have any favorites?

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

I just love the, the whole area, the l' Orangerie and over by Court Simone Mathieu where literally the court is like a greenhouse. It's in these gardens that are on the grounds. And it just doesn't feel like a tennis tournament. You, you, they, they plop in a little, little. When I was there two years ago, they had one of those little four piece French bands playing like Taylor Swift songs, which is probably like sacrilege to some people. But I was like, this is so cool. We're walking into the gardens and just. You have the little French band. It was just really. It just doesn't look like your normal tennis tournament. And so I like sort of the quirks of it also. We've talked about this, but the gift shop there is next level. It's two. It's two stories. It's massive. And they have a lot. I'm not really a souvenir person, much to my children's dismay. Like, no, I didn't bring you home anything like, sorry, it's overpriced and. But if you're gonna pay for an overpriced souvenir, they have some really unique things. So this has been a true delight. Kim and I are gonna have a couple of weeks off. We are gonna hopefully have some social content for you, but we're gonna hand it over to. Is it the. Well, Andy has. Andy has lots going on over on the served front. He has quick served during slams, of course. And I do believe we are going to have a bracket for you. We hope you all participate in that. And, you know, I'm sure it's not gonna be hard to beat Kim and I certainly not gonna be hard to beat myself.

[Kim Clijsters]

What do we know about Tim?

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

For myself, absolutely nothing. But on a quick side note, when it comes to picks, this is why I'm terrible at a bracket because my entire philosophy has been nobody is going to remember if I pick Jannik Sinner to win and he wins. But they might remember if I pick, I don't know, Archer Feast to win and he wins. And so I go big or go home, which is a losing proposition when

[Kim Clijsters]

it comes to win. That was my. My mindset during the Australian Open too.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

All right, well, we're gonna see how it all shakes out. We cannot wait. Kim. Have the best time in Paris. And yeah, put it all. Put it all on social media. We want to see the Kim Fluencer.

[Kim Clijsters]

Okay. Thanks.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

Thanks to our entire team. We appreciate you all. Sorry for the heavy lift on the edit this time around. We'll see you all next week. In the meantime, we would appreciate it so much if you liked and subscribed and followed and all the things. Love all podcasts on YouTube and socials.

[Kim Clijsters]

We'll see you next week.

[Podcast Host (possibly Blair or Henley)]

Week.

[Kim Clijsters]

Bye, everyone.