Elise Mertens is a Belgian professional tennis player and former world No.1 in doubles. She reached world No. 1 for the first time in May 2021, the third Belgian to hold the top ranking in either singles or doubles after Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin.
Mertens is a four-time Major champion in doubles, having won the 2019 US Open and 2021 Australian Open partnering Aryna Sabalenka, and the 2021 Wimbledon Championships and 2024 Australian Open with Hsieh Su-wei.
She also finished runner-up at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships with Zhang Shuai and at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships with Storm Hunter.
Mertens at the 2023 US Open
Mertens at the 2018 French Open
Mertens at the 2019 Wimbledon Championships
Mertens at the 2022 French Open
Kim Antonie Lode Clijsters is a Belgian former professional tennis player. Clijsters reached the world No. 1 ranking in both singles and doubles, having held both rankings simultaneously in 2003. She won six major titles, four in singles and two in doubles.
Clijsters in 2011
Clijsters (right) with her idol Steffi Graf in 2009. Graf won their only meeting on the WTA Tour in 1999.
The Kockelscheuer Sport Centre (Heather Watson pictured), where Clijsters won five Luxembourg Open titles, including three consecutive from 2001 to 2003
Ai Sugiyama, Clijsters's doubles partner in 2003