Brussels: Retired tennis star Kim Clijsters and US basketball player Brian Lynch were married in a secret early morning ceremony on Friday.

The civil ceremony was officiated by Jaak Gabriels, the mayor of the northern Belgian town of Bree, who confirmed to local media that the ceremony had taken place at 6am.

“This has been organised on Kim’s request, to keep the ceremony as low-key as possible,” Gabriels said.

Clijsters’ official website confirmed that the couple was married, adding a reception was planned for Saturday.