Kim Clijsters Academy will close its doors on 1 July
The Kim Clijsters Academy, an initiative of the former Belgian number one of the world in tennis, will stop all activities as of July 1st. From that moment on the Academy will no longer provide tennis and padel lessons for the clubs that have their home base at the sports complex in the Flemish province of Limburg.
"We have decided to stop the activities after a thorough financial review. It is a hard blow for the whole team, and certainly for Kim, but we have thought about this for a long time and this is the only option," manager Ruben Clijsters, a cousin of Kim Clijsters, said in a press release. "Kim had the dream to build an international training school in Bree in a cosy club setting, but partly due to corona and her move to the US we now have to put that dream on hold."
"We knew in advance that it was a huge challenge to build such an international school in a provincial town like Bree and we did everything we could to make it work. But after eight years, we have to conclude that we have not been able to make this initiative a real success. We wanted to make it possible for everyone here to take lessons through the Academy. But then, of course, we have to attract enough people."
In 2014, the Kim Clijsters Academy was launched as a place where local and international players but also national talents and top players could receive training. Several top players are currently training at the club, with the most famous being Elise Mertens (WTA-22) and junior world number two Sofia Costoulas. "We are going to schedule appointments with everyone to discuss what exactly this means for them," Ruben Clijsters said.
"We have not managed to attract a large group of foreign players to Bree, which was necessary to make this story profitable. That has to do with many factors, but it will be no secret that corona has not helped us in recent years either. Travel was not allowed, the conditions became very difficult."
There was no real revival after the pandemic. Moreover, the Kim Clijsters Academy had been making losses for several years. "That's a situation you can sustain for a while, but at some point that also stops. It is a pity, but we also want to offer our partners and trainers clarity. They deserve that."
The decision of the Kim Clijsters Academy is separate from the operation of the clubs, the complex and all other activities that take place on the grounds. The complex will remain open and all activities other than those of the Academy will continue after 30 June.
(AHU)
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© BELGA PHOTO ERIC LALMAND