Clijsters' 2020 comeback delayed by knee injury

FILE PHOTO: Kim Clijsters of Belgium smiles during a news conference before being inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island, U.S., July 22, 2017. REUTERS/Brian Snyder/File Photo

(Reuters) - Kim Clijsters' tennis comeback in January has been pushed back as she recovers from a knee injury, the four-times Grand Slam champion said on Monday.

Clijsters, 36, last played on the WTA tour in 2012 and had announced in September that she was planning to make a comeback when the new season begins in January.

"I've had to make the decision that I will not be able to compete in January. I am undergoing rehab and treatment for a knee injury," Clijsters said on Twitter.

FILE PHOTO: Belgium's Kim Clijsters hits a shot during a practice session at Melbourne Park, Australia, January 17, 2016. The Australian Open tennis tournament starts January 18. REUTERS/Thomas Peter/File Photo

"It's a setback but I'm determined as ever to get back to the game I love."

Clijsters' decision to make a comeback will mark her second return to the sport after first retiring in 2007 to start a family.

With 41 singles titles to her name, Clijsters hung up her racket after the 2012 U.S. Open and later worked as a tennis commentator.

(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Alison Williams)