Katie Volynets has enlisted the help of Kim Clijsters for the 2026 French Open. Volynets, who achieved a career high WTA ranking of 56th in July 2024, has the Belgian tennis legend on her team. The collaboration with Clijsters had been in the works for months, according to Volynets, who is thrilled it came to fruition in Paris.
Volynets Faces Kostyuk in Second Round
Volynets faces Mutua Madrid Open champion Marta Kostyuk in a Wednesday second round match. She defeated Kostyuk in their previous meeting on the hardcourts at the 2024 China Open. However, Kostyuk is having a career best 2026 season and is a different player now, especially on the clay.
Clijsters Returns to Coaching
Fans were surprised to hear that Clijsters is dipping her toe back into coaching with Volynets. She has historically only worked with Belgian players, most notably Elise Mertens and former player Yanina Wickmayer. Volynets mentioned that working with Clijsters had been a long time coming, perhaps due to Clijsters tearing her Achilles two times last year and enduring a long recovery.
An All-Female Coaching Matchup
Kostyuk also has female coaches on her team. It will be an all girl event at Roland Garros on Wednesday, a rarity in this era of competitive tennis.
Regardless of how far Volynets goes at Roland Garros, it is nice to see Clijsters back in a coaching role, even if it is temporary.