CLIJSTERS IS BACK ... AGAIN

So Clijsters is back on Tour and already the articles describing her return as welcome and classy etc have begun circulating.  The commentators I understand are beside themselves in describing just how wonderful it is to see her back and what she will bring to the Tour. 

It never fails to amaze me how a player who has never done much in the way of promoting the WTA Tour is always looked at as the person who brings so much benefit to the WTA Tour. I can never understand why this is, but apparently this is tennis and has always been tennis and will continue to be tennis. 

Many people compare Serena's penchant for talking up the fact that she is a mother and how she finds it inspiring as similar to how Clijsters was when she returned to the Tour for the second (or maybe third time).  The difference though is that Serena has used her platform to:

• change the WTA's policy on rankings and pregnancy, and maternity leave; 
• inspire conversations regarding health care for women, and in particular minority women; 
• with her husband ignited a conversation on paid parental leave;

Clijsters, on the other hand  used her role as a mother to decry the long never ending tennis season.  She constantly talked about the fact that she just wanted to be home with her children and family and bemoaned the many injuries that sidelined her. If other articles are to be believed, apparently staying at home as a wife and mother was not fulfilling enough.  Go figure. 

I have never understood why Clijsters who never failed to show up at a tournament as if the nets were in her backyard,  and who made millions from playing every tournament imaginable,  while at the same time complaining about tennis, is held up as the epitome of class and apparently, the saviour of the WTA.  It is even worse, as I understand it that she has not only returned, but returned looking very much out of shape. I am not entirely sure what strikes them as classy about a complainer. 

Comparisons have been made about the success of Clijsters in her first return and Serena's when she returned from maternity leave.  The difference for those who know is that Serena was still lactating (i.e. breastfeeding), while Clijsters had been away for 2 years and had a toddler who was walking and talking.  The fact that many are saying it took Serena 2 years to win a title, when it only took Clijsters a few months in her comeback is the type of ridiculous and shortsighted commentary that Clijsters inspires. 

Clijsters believes that she can return to the WTA Tour and possibly dominate.  It would be a monumental slap in the face of all those young women who have been working hard to achieve their dreams and to support the WTA Tour, if Clijsters is allowed to have numerous wildcards, rise in the rankings, and pick and choose any  elite tournaments to enter. How does that strike anyone as fair?

There are many more deserving women out there who are struggling with their careers who could benefit from these wild cards.  We need only look at the qualifying draw in Dubai to see the list of players who had to play qualifying (Julia Georges, Carla Suarez-Navarro [final year on Tour], Mladenovic, Kasatkina, Hseih to name but a few of the players who had to play qualifying ).  The fact that Clijsters, as well as Sharapova, do not need to work for them should be a key talking point for those who cover the WTA.

I truly hope that Clijsters loses every single match and that retirement will come calling once again.  This time for good.