Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Kimberly Birrell

How Kimberly Birrell built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.

Kimberly Birrell is a professional tennis player from Australia. As of late 2025, she achieved a career-high WTA singles ranking of No. 60 and a doubles ranking of No. 162. Birrell is currently the No. 3 ranked Australian singles player. Her career accomplishments include winning seven singles titles and two doubles titles on the ITF Circuit.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements

2008: Switch to Queens Park Tennis Centre

In 2008, Kimberly Birrell switched her training base to the Queens Park Tennis Centre, where her father became the manager.

July 2011: Debut on the ITF Junior Circuit

In July 2011, at the age of 13, Kimberly Birrell began playing on the ITF Junior Circuit under-18 events.

October 2012: First Professional Event

In October 2012, Kimberly Birrell competed in her first professional event at the Bendigo Tennis Centre at the age of 14.

2012: First Junior Final Win

In 2012, Kimberly Birrell reached her first junior final in Sydney and won against Pamela Boyanov.

2013: First Professional Ranking Point

In 2013, Kimberly Birrell gained her first professional ranking point with a win over Elizabeth James and finished the year with a singles ranking of 847.

2013: Junior Grand Slam Debut

In 2013, Kimberly Birrell made her junior Grand Slam debut at the Australian Open, losing to Rebecca Peterson.

2014: Australian Open Semifinal and Highest Junior Ranking

In 2014, Kimberly Birrell reached the semifinals of the Australian Open unseeded, where she was defeated by Jana Fett. She also achieved her highest junior ranking of 18 in the world.

2015: Focus on Women's Tour

In 2015, Kimberly Birrell competed in three junior Grand Slam events but primarily focused on the women's tour.

2015: Wildcard Entries and Major Debut

In 2015, Kimberly Birrell was awarded a qualifying wildcard into the Hobart International, but lost. She also received a wildcard for the Australian Open qualifying, and made her major main-draw debut in women's doubles.

February 2016: Fed Cup Debut

In February 2016, Kimberly Birrell debuted for the Australia Fed Cup team against Slovakia, losing to Dominika Cibulková.

2016: Year-End Ranking

In 2016, Kimberly Birrell ended the year with a ranking of No. 584.

December 2018: Australian Open Wildcard Playoffs Win

In December 2018, Kimberly Birrell won the Australian Open Wildcard Playoffs.

2018: Year-End Singles Ranking

In 2018, Kimberly Birrell ended the year with a singles ranking of No. 285.

2019: Australian Open Wins and Loss

At the 2019 Australian Open, Kimberly Birrell defeated Paula Badosa and Donna Vekić, earning her first Grand Slam main-draw wins. She lost in the third round to Angelique Kerber.

2019: Brisbane International Wildcard and Top 10 Win

In 2019, Kimberly Birrell commenced the year with a wildcard into the Brisbane International, where she achieved her first top 10 win over Daria Kasatkina.

2019: Qualifying Losses and Elbow Injury

In 2019, Kimberly Birrell lost in the first round of qualifying in the French Open and Wimbledon. Wimbledon was her last competitive match for over a year due to an elbow injury.

2019: Fed Cup and Hardee's Pro Classic Quarterfinals

In February 2019, Kimberly Birrell reached the second round of the Launceston International and returned to the Australian Fed Cup team. In April, she reached the quarterfinals of the Hardee's Pro Classic in Alabama.

February 2021: Australian Open Loss and Phillip Island Trophy

In February 2021, Kimberly Birrell was given a wildcard into the Australian Open where she lost in round one to Rebecca Marino. She also made the third round of the Phillip Island Trophy, which would be her final tournament for the year.

January 2022: Return to Competition

In January 2022, Kimberly Birrell played her first match in eleven months, at the Melbourne Summer Set 1, where she defeated Martina Trevisan in the first round of qualifying before losing to Lesley Pattinama Kerkhove in the final qualifying round.

February 2023: Mérida Open Quarterfinal and Career-High Ranking

In February 2023, Kimberly Birrell reached her first quarterfinal at the Mérida Open and a new career-high ranking of 116 on February 27, 2023. She also made her second WTA Tour doubles final at the Monterrey Open.

February 2023: Australian Open win and new career-high ranking

In February 2023, Kimberly Birrell received a wildcard and defeated Kaia Kanepi at the Australian Open. Following her fourth ITF title she reached a new career-high ranking of 136 on February 13, 2023.

September 2023: Top 100 Ranking

In September 2023, Kimberly Birrell made her US Open debut as a lucky loser and reached the top 100 on September 18, 2023.

September 2024: Career-High Doubles Ranking

On September 9, 2024, Kimberly Birrell achieved a doubles ranking of No. 162.

2024: Nottingham Open Quarterfinal

In 2024, Kimberly Birrell made her second career singles quarterfinal and her first on grass at the Nottingham Open.

2024: US Open and China Open Appearances

In 2024, Kimberly Birrell qualified for the main draw of the US Open, losing in the first round. She also qualified for the WTA 1000 China Open, losing in the first round.

February 2025: W75 Brisbane Win and Career-High Ranking

In February 2025, Kimberly Birrell won the W75 Brisbane, leading to a career-high ranking of world No. 75 on February 10, 2025.

May 2025: Career-High WTA Ranking

On May 5, 2025, Kimberly Birrell reached a career-high WTA ranking of No. 60.

2025: Brisbane International Quarterfinal

Kimberly Birrell's 2025 season started at the Brisbane International where she received a wildcard entry and reached the quarterfinals before losing to Anhelina Kalinina.