Belgian tennis star Kim Clijsters and Australian player Lleyton Hewitt have ended their relationship, Clijsters announced on her official website. The split comes roughly four months before a planned February wedding in Australia.
A statement on her site cited only private reasons for the decision, adding that the marriage would not go forward. Neither player intended to elaborate publicly on the circumstances.
Both athletes are former world number ones. Clijsters, 21, has claimed 21 career titles but has been sidelined since May with a wrist injury. Hewitt, 23, has won 23 titles, including the US Open (2001) and Wimbledon (2002), though he fell to Roger Federer in the US Open final in September 2004.
The pair first met at the 2000 Australian Open and became engaged following a boat trip around Sydney Harbour in December 2003. Clijsters reached the world number one ranking in August 2003, despite having lost four Grand Slam finals without capturing a major title.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this AFP wire report, first published in October 2004, in its own words.