Advertising

For the first time since 2012, Kim Clijsters will take the court at a Grand Slam. There’s certainly no place she’d rather return, as the four-time major champion has won in New York three times. She could have asked for a more favorable draw, though, as the Belgian, who is battling a sore abdominal muscle, will face the 21st seed Ekaterina Alexandrova.

Clijsters racked up wins during the World Team Tennis season, going a perfect 5-0 before relieving herself of singles duties due to injury. Don’t read too much into the first-to-five, no-ad, format though, as the Belgian lost her first two matches in WTA competition earlier this year in straight sets.

While her ball-striking remains perfect and pure, her health is something of a mystery. She withdrew from last week's Western & Southern Open and surely 37-year-old muscles don't recover as quickly as they used to. It’s tough to hit shots like these with a pulled abdominal muscle.

US Open WTA Match of the Day: Kim Clijsters vs. Ekaterina Alexandrova

Advertising

Alexandrova, on the other hand, has no injuries to speak of, and owns a solid 13-6 record so far in 2020. If the 25-year-old isn’t starstruck facing the future Hall of Famer, she should be able to outlast Clijsters.

It’s unwise to write off a player of Clijsters’ caliber, but tennis and abdominal injuries don’t mix. Every single shot on the court, especially the serve, requires both core strength and flexibility. That being said, there’s no way we’ll miss Clijsters first match back in Flushing Meadows in eight long years.

The Pick: Ekaterina Alexandrova

US Open WTA Match of the Day: Kim Clijsters vs. Ekaterina Alexandrova

US Open WTA Match of the Day: Kim Clijsters vs. Ekaterina Alexandrova