The distracted players department
Kim Clijsters, the reigning champion of the ladies invitational doubles alongside Martina Hingis, showed up to defend her title and admitted she has missed some of the big moments of the tournament so far. “I went to Taylor Swift in Amsterdam this weekend,” she says, “so I’ve had distractions.” It turns out that the former world No 1 and three-time US Open champion is less of a Swiftie than she is a Very Good Bestie – she got the tickets for her closest friend and surprised her with them. “I love her lyrics,” says Clijsters, “but I was more overwhelmed by the impact that she has on everybody. She’s a great entertainer.” Clijsters knows plenty about entertaining –at the 2017 invitational doubles she invited a fan on to the pitch to have a hit, and even dressed him in one of her skorts.
