Former world number one Kim Clijsters will miss the French Open after failing to recover from a hip injury, the Belgian said on Tuesday.

Clijsters, who plans to retire from professional tennis at the end of the season, has been plagued by numerous injuries throughout her career and decided not to risk aggravating her hip problem by playing on the punishing slow surface.

It's such a pity not to be able to play a last claycourt season. But I can't be fully fit for the French Open (which begins on May 27), Clijsters was quoted as saying on her website (www.kimclijsters.be).

I really look forward starting a long training to be ready for the grasscourt season where I will pursue two main goals at Wimbledon and the Olympic Games.

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