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Kim Clijsters gets a wild card entry into BNP Paribas Open

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Kim Clijsters, a four-time Grand Slam singles champion who is making her second comeback to competitive tennis, was given a wild card entry into the BNP Paribas Open next month at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

Clijsters, 36, is a two-time champion at Indian Wells. She retired in 2007 but returned to the women’s tour in 2009 and won the U.S. Open that year. She won the U.S. Open again in 2010 and the Australian Open in 2011 before retiring again in 2012. She announced late last year she planned to return, but she was slowed by a knee injury. She has played one tournament so far, losing in the first round at Dubai to Garbine Muguruza. Clijsters is scheduled to play in a tournament in Monterrey, Mexico, that starts this weekend.

Tournament organizers also announced that world No. 1 Novak Djokovic was given a doubles wild card entry and he will team up with fellow Serb Viktor Troicki. World No. 2 Rafael Nadal will team up with Marc Lopez in doubles, reuniting a pair that won the Indian Wells doubles title in 2010 and 2012 and the gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

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Roger Federer previously announced he will not compete in Indian Wells this year after undergoing knee surgery last week.

Main draw play will begin on March 11 for the women and on March 12 for the men. They will be playing for more than $15 million in prize money.

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