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Every tennis career is different, but it's safe to say that nobody's journey resembles the one that Kim Clijsters has been on. The Belgian reached world No. 1 and won the US Open by the age of 22, but quickly fell out of love with the sport.

On an all new episode of the TENNIS.com podcast with Kamau Murray, Clijsters pulls back the curtain and explains why she had to press pause on her profession.

"I wasn't happy playing," Clijsters said. "The most normal thing I knew was to be fully committed to tennis, and I couldn't do it anymore."

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But her story was far from over on the court. Clijsters used her time away from the game to recharge and start a family, something she credited mightily for the success she achieved when she returned to the WTA Tour. That newfound perspective renewed her love of the game, while allowing her to avoid another burnout. She still remains a force with a racquet in her hand, as Murray recounted in a firsthand story from a few years prior.

"You were hitting somebody off the (practice) court, and they were like 'this old lady, is hitting me off the court.' I remember the purest ball-striking I've ever seen," he recalled. "Now that's why she can win a Slam after not playing for two years!"

Tennis fans are not going to want to miss this exclusive sit-down with one of the game's greats, and above all else, one of the true pioneers in female athletics. Clijsters captured three of her four major singles titles after the birth of her first child (daughter Jada), a beautiful accomplishment that many of the current mothers on tour hope to emulate. And at 38 and still loving the game, there may be a few more big-time forehands left to hit.