By Julian Linden

SYDNEY - Kim Clijsters waited longer than she ever expected to win her first grand slam title but the Belgian insists she will not be hanging around much longer -- whether she wins any more this year or not.

At 23, Clijsters is in the prime of her career but has already announced plans to quit the professional circuit at the end of 2007.

"This is it -- you'd better believe it," she told reporters at a news conference before the Sydney International.

The 2005 U.S. Open champion last week made the perfect start to her farewell tour when she won an exhibition tournament in Hong Kong and heads into next week's Australian Open as one of the favourites.

Clijsters finished runner-up to fellow Belgian Justine Henin-Hardenne at the Australian Open in 2004 and is desperate to go one better this year but whatever happens the result will have no bearing on her decision to retire.

She first contemplated quitting when injuries forced her to miss three grand slams in 2004 and the 2005 Australian Open.

"It was so frustrating just to (have to) do those exercises, now there's two to three hours of exercises that I have to do every day to stay fit and there's days when I don't want to do them but I know that I have to," she said.

But a fit-again Clijsters also has other reasons for wanting to retire. Having grown tired of the constant travel she is now looking forward to a more settled life when she marries American basketball player Brian Lynch in July.

"I like to do my thing and just be private and just have my life at home, I'm not really into the spotlight," she said.

"Playing tennis to me is not (being) a celebrity, I play sports and that's what I enjoy doing and I love the sport.

"I'm not the girl who does photo shoots, ...that's not me.

"I like to be at home and be the housewife, cook and take care of my dogs and just make sure the house is clean and all that stuff."

Clijsters said she had considered retiring last year when she injured her wrist in Montreal and had to abandon her defence of the U.S. Open title but decided to give it one last shot and enjoy some of the things she had taken for granted.

"As a tennis player you kind of think this life will go on forever but it doesn't," she said.

"You start looking at the beautiful things of this life that we have. You definitely appreciate the small things and the people that you meet."