The mother of all stories at Wimbledon – a day in the life of Kim Clijsters

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UPDATED:

21:30 GMT, 24 June 2012

Kim Clijsters is a rare thing on the circuit – a Grand Slam winner and mother. She's going for glory at SW19. Here's how she copes with Jada, 4, during the Championships.

I wake up depending on when Jada does, which is usually about 7am or 7.30. I will drink a bottle of water before I do anything and then get Jada dressed.

For breakfast we start with fruit, then we have oatmeal with some raisins, almonds, honey. I have a juice every morning which is spinach, carrot and apple. I make a lot of juices for Jada as well so she is used to fruits and vegetables.

Mother of all stories: Kim Clijsters is going for glory with her daughter in tow

Once that is finished we might go off to the pool if we are staying in a hotel and I will sit under an umbrella watching her play. I can’t really go out in the sun too much if it’s hot, so I’m often stuck under cover.

That’s the hard thing on the road — I can’t always be the mother that I want to be because I can’t do things like go into the pool with her and sometimes I find that a bit difficult.

For her it’s fine but it bothers me and I sometimes have a guilty feeling when I might have to go back to the room and rest. But I’ll watch for at least half-an-hour.

We either have a nanny travelling with us or we’ll have parents and family about, so there’s always someone to help. You want to be a part of that and see the fun things she gets to do. She might go off to the aquarium or somewhere when I have to go off to the courts.

We’ve been to so many aquariums around the world.

Super Mum: Clijsters won the US Open in 2010 and celebrated with daughter Jada

For Wimbledon we stay in a house not too far from the All England Club. I will probably leave to go to the courts about noon if my match is at 3pm.

I get my bag packed, make sure I’ve got enough shirts, I’ve got my drink, that my rackets are in order.

Jada might come to the courts, but that really depends on who is around to look after her. Jada’s schedule doesn’t depend on my matches, it’s better that way.

I have a practise hit at 1pm for 20-30 minutes and then it’s time for lunch, which pre-match is usually brown rice and vegetables. I’m drinking water steadily for an hour before the match.

I then fetch my rackets from the stringers — I always get three new rackets strung for each match — and I always insist on doing these things myself.

I take the old grips off the rackets and put fresh ones on, then I might sit around the players’ lounge or locker room and relax.

Thirty minutes before my match I go to the gym for a stretch, a little jog, some quick footwork exercises and some reflex work with a ball.

After the match I go to the gym for a run or bike ride for 10-15 minutes, regardless of how long it has taken. Then it’s a stretching session before I have a shower.

Then I will talk with my coach about the match before going in front of the press and broadcast media, talking in English and Flemish and sometimes French.

Then I’m off as quickly as possible to spend as much time as I can with Jada. I will hear about what she has been up to and it’s the best time of the day.

Up for the cap: Clujsters won the doubles with Ai Sugiyama in 2003

I don’t think about tennis for one second at this time. I will make her tea. Sometimes we will take Jada out to a restaurant.

We always travel with a thing called a Babycook, a steamer, grinder and mixer. You can do mashed potatoes. It’s my absolutely essential gadget round the world.

If we are in a hotel we will have emptied the minibar on arriving and filled it with fruit and vegetables. I always try to make her supper or lunch, depending on my match, maybe some soup.

We might go out for a walk or she might want to play for a little bit, then I give her a bath and read to her. We might do some drawing or painting.

I will put Jada to bed around 7.45pm but that is not the end of it for me as this is when my trainer comes in.

My treatment is usually over about 9pm and then I unwind.

I’m usually exhausted by then. It is a long day, and with Jada around it is still a satisfying one whether I have won or lost.