What a moment! The Queensland local Kimberly Birrell clinched the biggest win of her career at Brisbane International by defeating the world number 8, Emma Navarro (USA) in the first round (R32) by 7-5,7-5. This was the first time she secured back-to-back wins at a WTA 500 event. It was also only her second-ever top-10 win. The previous one came against Daria Kasatkina back in 2018. Who’s Kimberly Birrell though? Let’s take a look at her astonishing rise on the big stage.

Kimberly Birrell was born on 29 April 1998 in Dusseldorf, Germany to Australian parents. Interestingly, her father John was working as a tennis coach in Germany at the time of her birth. Later, the family settled on the Gold Coast, Queensland when Kimberly Birrell was three years of age as her father took up the role of the head coach at Pat Cash’s Tennis Academy. Birrell also has a brother, named Cade who is also a tennis player.

Kimberly Birrell started playing tennis at the age of just four. She switched to training bases at the Queen Part Tennis Center in 2008 when her father began managing the club. It’s the same club that has produced the likes of Samantha Stosur and Bernard Tomic.

Birrell began playing on the ITF Junior Circuit U18 events at the age of just 13. After that, she won her first junior final in 2012 in Sydney. She competed in her first professional event at the Bendigo Tennis Centre in October 2012 at the age of just 14. Then a year later, she made her junior Grand Slam debut at the 2013 AO.

Birrell’s best record in the 2024 season was winning the title at the ITF Japan 13A. She also made it to the final at the Japan Women’s Open and reached the QF at the Nottingham Open. Here in Brisbane, she has already beaten her compatriot Priscilla Hon in the first match and now this win over Navarro will do wonders to his confidence!

The 26-year-old, Kimberly Birrell is currently ranked 113 in the world, and guess what? She’s yet to win a title in her career! Is her straight-set triumph over the American superstar, Emma Navarro an indication of what we can expect from this Aussie in the next twelve months? Time will tell! Surely, she has the potential to cause a few upsets like this and in the next round, she’s all set to face Top 30 players, Dayana Yastremska or Anastasia Potapova. What did Birrell say after this emphatic victory over Emma Navarro, though?

“I think the biggest difference was that I had all of you guys on my side. Thank you so much,” Kimberly Birrell said. “I’ve spent so many hours on this court since I was little. I watched the Brisbane International when I was a kid and to get here to have a tournament that’s basically at home is so special. I get to play in front of my family and friends and it’s not very often that my player’s box is completely full. I’m so, so happy, and thank you so much to everyone (in the crowd) for supporting me.”

Just like her father, even her mother has played an enormous role in Birrell’s career. What does Birrell have to say about her family’s contributions?

Kimberly Birrell says she’s “super aware” of all the sacrifices her family has made to help her reach this stage

In 2023, Kimberly Birrell got a pleasant surprise at the AO when she found out that Venus Willimas pulled out of the tournament and hence she didn’t need to win three qualifiers to get into the draw. While speaking about that memorable moment, Birrell highlighted how her family always stood by her through thick and thin.

She said, “I was pretty happy (and) I was not expecting it at all. I cried like a baby, and it was such a nice moment. I had just got off of the court practicing; my brother and my mum and my dad were all there with me when I got told. Yeah, that was a really special moment because they’ve been through it all with me … the highs, the lows. Yeah, I’m glad I got to share it with them.” Speaking about her mother, she further added, “My mum is a schoolteacher, so she always pushed my brother and I to be educated and never stop learning.”

Apart from her parents and brother, even her boyfriend Matt Fraser has been one of Birrell’s biggest supporters since 2020. Matt Fraser currently works as a director for UQ Game Tennis Crews, after completing his Bachelor’s degree in Melodic Studies from the College of Queensland.

Once during an interview, Kimberly Birrell highlighted her boyfriend’s role in her life. “I’m super aware of all the sacrifices that my family have made and my boyfriend have made,” said Birrell. Do you think Kimberly Birrell will win her first title on the tour in 2025? Let us know in the comments.