ESPN Tennis

LONDON -- Belgium's Kim Clijsters went from a player with no ranking to 19th in the world with her spectacular comeback victory at the U.S. Open.

Fourteen competitive matches since ending her two-year absence from the professional ranks, Clijsters became the envy of all those tennis players who toil away for years by reaching the top 20 in the new WTA rankings published on Monday.

Clijsters, who rose to world No. 1 in August 2003 and won her only previous grand slam event at Flushing Meadows four years ago before heading into retirement in 2007, said she had not expected her progress to be so easy.

"Mentally I really had to just tell myself: 'OK, Kim, you're starting from zero here'," the 26-year-old Belgian told reporters after her 7-5, 6-3 triumph over Dane Caroline Wozniacki in New York on Sunday.

A first-round loss in New York would have seen her ranked around 181st, the WTA said on Monday, after creditable performances in her comeback events in Cincinnati and Toronto.

However, after steamrolling her way to the U.S. Open title, eclipsing both Williams sisters en route, the affable Belgian was propelled into the world's top 20.

Clijsters had been scheduled to play next in a Luxembourg event next month but with a place in the season-ending championships in Doha a possibility she may opt to extend her program.

Clijsters could also seek to emulate Jennifer Capriati, who returned to the game at age 19 in 1996 and went on to reach the world No. 1 spot in 2001.