"You can just see all the emotion" - Kim Clijsters on Serena Williams

Kim Clijsters faced Serena Williams nine times so she had a very good chance to see how the legendary player works from up close.

Williams won 7 of those matches but the final one they played at the 2009 US Open was won by Clijsters in the semi-final. The Belgian player revealed to Eurosport that she cried when she heard about Williams retiring being aware how hard it is:

"After my last match, I remember I felt very relieved – not to lose but when I knew that it was done. So we'll see how Serena will take it. I'm sure it's going to be very emotional. I was already crying when she announced it earlier this month; I had tears in my eyes when I saw her in Canada when she said goodbye after her loss there.

Clijsters walked away from the game officially earlier this year after doing so many years ago for the first time. She watched Williams say her goodbyes in Toronto and felt:

"I was watching her on-court interview and you can just see all the emotions that came up. It's a very impactful change in your life; being a part of the tennis generation that almost came up at the same time when Serena did, it's incredible to see how long she's managed to stay on, and her sister Venus as well."