INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — Kim Clijsters has been given a wild card into next month’s BNP Paribas Open, another step in her tennis comeback at age 36.
The four-time major winner won in 2003 and 2005 at Indian Wells before retiring nearly eight years ago. Clijsters hasn’t competed at the tournament in the Southern California desert since 2011.
The mother of three lost to Garbine Muguruza in straight sets this month in Dubai in her comeback match.
Also Thursday, tournament officials said Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal received wild cards into the men’s doubles draw for the two-week event that starts March 9.
Djokovic will play with Viktor Troicki, whom he teamed with this year to help Serbia win the ATP Cup. Djokovic reached the doubles semifinals at Indian Wells last year. Nadal will play with fellow Spaniard Marc Lopez. They won at Indian Wells in 2010 and 2012.