Kim Clijsters

Former world No 1 Kim Clijsters announced on Tuesday she is to retire after the US Open in September.

The 28-year-old Belgian told a news conference that she wanted to sign out in New York where she enjoyed the biggest success of her career winning the the women's singles title at Flushing Meadow three times in 2005, 2009 and 2010.

"As it stands I will end my career at the US Open, That is where I enjoyed my greatest triumphs and it is a very special place for me," she said.

Former world No 1 Kim Clijsters will miss out on a final chance to claim an elusive French Open title after opting to skip the entire claycourt season due to a hip injury.

The popular Belgian has been laid low by numerous injuries throughout her 13-year career, her feet, ankles, hips wrists and shoulders all feeling the strain at some stage, and she has decided not to risk aggravating her latest hip problem by playing on the punishing slow surface.

The stars of the WTA haven't just been lighting up the courts during the Sony Ericsson Open, they have been lighting up the press room. Check out some of their best (and at times random) quotes right here...

Kim Clijsters' return from injury has been dealt a blow after the Belgian tore a muscle in her hip and will face four weeks out.

Clijsters, winner of four Grand Slams, has been plagued by injuries in what is set to be the final season of her career.

The 28-year-old made her comeback from an ankle problem at the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami, reaching the third round before being beaten by compatriot Yanina Wickmayer.

Kim Clijsters has been forced to deny rumours that she is set to quit tennis with immediate effect.

During an interview with Belgian TV in Miami, the former world number one said her brand of tennis was "becoming too much for my body", a phrase which appears to have sparked the reports.

However, Clijsters took to Twitter on Monday to deny any such suiggestions.

She said: "I don't know who started the rumours - I am not quitting! Not yet! I have some great tennis left in me! Just making that very clear!"

Kim Clijsters, who has been contending with an ankle injury, said after her loss to fellow Belgian Yanina Wickmayer in Miami that she is playing at "maybe not even 50 percent." Former No. 1 Clijsters, who will retire at the end of the year and has expressed a desire to win the two Grand Slam titles that have eluded her at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, says that she’s only scheduled to play Madrid and Rome as a lead ups to Paris, and may travel to Spain for a week of practice on clay.

Those on the bottom half of the draw will play their third round matches at the Sony Ericsson Open on Saturday, including former World No.1s Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams, Kim Clijsters and Caroline Wozniacki.

Saturday, Third Round

Stadium

[2] Maria Sharapova (RUS #2) vs. [Q] Sloane Stephens (USA #90)

Head-to-head: first meeting

They are, in terms of sustained excellence, the WTA's power trio. Serena and Venus Williams and Kim Clijsters have won a combined 24 Grand Slam singles titles -- that's more than double the rest of the active field; eight other women have won a total of 11 majors.

But there is a growing downside to all of these accumulated achievements. When Clijsters was asked Wednesday if she was going to play Fed Cup for Belgium in April, she said no.

Why?

Venus Williams, who played her first singles match since the U.S. Open in a win over Kimiko Date-Krumm at Miami, said she is feeling as well as can be expected. "I feel like a person that has an auto-immune disease,” said Williams, who is suffering from Sjogren's Syndrome. "You know, for me, I’m not going to probably feel like everybody else. But for me, my personal best is to give 100 percent. You know, someone with an auto-immune disease definitely faces different challenges than other people. But it doesn’t mean you can’t be successful."

Two-time champion Kim Clijsters shook the rust out of her game after nearly two months off court rehabilitating an ankle injury, with the Belgian rallying past Australian Jarmila Gajdosova 4-6, 6-1, 6-0 on Wednesday to reach the second round of the Miami Masters.

Mother-of-one Clijsters, who plans to wrap up her career with the London Olympics, last played in a Melbourne semifinal on January 26 after injuring her ankle earlier.