WASHINGTON - FORMER US Open champion Kim Clijsters wants to return to professional tennis full-time, starting with the Cincinnati Women's Open in three weeks.

Toronto will follow in preparation for the US Open, which begins on Aug. 31.

These events will help the 26-year-old Belgian decide whether to rejoin the WTA Tour next season.

'I've been training like a professional, with my mind set to coming back as a full professional,' Clijsters said on Friday.

She reached No. 1 in the rankings in 2003, and won the US Open two years later. Clijsters retired in 2007, and has since gotten married and had a daughter. -- AP