15 years after adorable moment with then 1-year-old, Kim Clijsters and daughter Jada return to US Open for Sabalenka vs Pegula final
Kim Clijsters and daughter Jada recently made an appearance at the 2024 US Open women's final, nearly 15 years after the duo shared an adorable moment at Flushing Meadows. The New York Major summit clash took place between Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula, where the former eventually prevailed.
Sabalenka defeated Jessica Pegula in straight sets, the match lasting an hour and 52 minutes. With this victory, she extended her 12-match winning streak which began at the Cincinnati Open a few weeks ago. Meanwhile, 2009 US Open champion Kim Clijsters and her daughter Jada were present on-court during Sabalenka and Pegula's pre-match coin toss photoshoot.
The official X (formerly Twitter) account of the US Open shared a post comparing the duo's photo at the 2024 final with one from Clijsters' victory 15 years ago with her then-one-year-old daughter.
You can see the two pictures of Clijsters and her daughter below:
Following this, fans reacted to the moment on social media, with one sharing Clijsters' photo from the 2009 US Open on X, saying,
"Kim clijsters and her daughter Jada 2009 US open final vs 2024 US Open final. I feel so old [crying emoji]"
n 2009, Clijsters defeated ninth seed Caroline Wozniacki in the final to claim her second Grand Slam title, making history as the first unseeded player to capture a Major title. The Belgian would go on to win two more Majors before retiring.
"Just to be back was a great feeling" - When Kim Clijsters opened up after 2009 US Open win
In the 2009 US Open women's final, Kim Clijsters dominated proceedings against Caroline Wozniacki from the outset, winning the first set 7-5. Carrying that momentum, she won the second set 6-3, securing her second US Open title. Notably, this triumph came just two years after her return to the sport following her retirement in 2007.
The four-time Major champion was thrilled to win the title and thanked USTA for giving her a wildcard entry.
Clijsters said (via The Guardian),
"I don't have words for this. I'm just glad I got to come back and defend my title from 2005. It's so exciting for me. I have to thank the USTA for giving me the wild card to come back here. Just coming back here meant so much to me and seeing how warm everybody welcomed me and embraced me, just to be back was a great feeling.
"It definitely helped me to keep fighting and stay focused out there. Especially in the last few matches where the opponents became a lot more tougher."
Clijsters retired from the game twice, in 2012 and 2022, following her initial retirement in 2007. Her last match took place at Indian Wells in 2021, where she was eliminated in the first round.