Kirsten Flipkens facts for kids

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Kirsten Flipkens
Singles
Flipkens at the 2019 French Open
Country (sports)	Belgium
Residence	Mol, Belgium
Born	(1986-01-10) 10 January 1986 (age 39) Geel, Belgium
Height	1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
Turned pro	2003
Retired	July 2023
Plays	Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Coach	Maxime Braeckman
Prize money	$6,239,546
Official website	kirstenflipkens.be
Career record	542–400 (57.54%)
Career titles	1
Highest ranking	No. 13 (5 August 2013)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	4R (2013)
French Open	2R (2006, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018)
Wimbledon	SF (2013)
US Open	3R (2009)
Doubles
Career record	170–166 (50.6%)
Career titles	7
Highest ranking	No. 23 (1 July 2019)
Current ranking	No. 221 (22 April 2024)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	QF (2022)
French Open	SF (2019)
Wimbledon	3R (2017, 2018, 2022, 2023)
US Open	QF (2022)
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
Australian Open	1R (2020, 2022, 2023)
French Open	1R (2013)
Wimbledon	3R (2018)
US Open	F (2022)
Team competitions
Fed Cup	F (2006), record 18–35

Kirsten "Flipper" Flipkens (born on January 10, 1986) is a Belgian tennis coach and a former professional player. She reached her highest singles ranking of No. 13 in the world. Kirsten won one singles title and seven doubles titles on the main WTA Tour. She also won many titles on the ITF Women's Circuit and one on the WTA Challenger Tour.

Kirsten was very successful as a junior player. She won the girls' doubles title at the 2002 US Open. She also won the singles titles at Wimbledon and the US Open in 2003. Her best performance in a major tournament as an adult was reaching the semifinal at Wimbledon in 2013. That same year, she was named Sportswoman of the Year in Belgium. In 2016, Kirsten played in her first Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. She reached the third round in singles. She also played for Belgium in the Fed Cup for 16 years, which is more than any other Belgian player. Because of this, she received the Fed Cup Commitment Award in 2016.

Kirsten's Early Life

Kirsten Flipkens was born in Geel, Belgium, on January 10, 1986. She was the only child of a car dealer and a housewife. Kirsten started playing tennis when she was four years old. She also played football, volleyball, and basketball. When she was 12, she decided to focus on tennis as her career.

She then went to a tennis academy in Wilrijk, where she became friends with famous tennis player Kim Clijsters. After winning Wimbledon and the US Open as a junior at age 17, she left school to become a professional tennis player. Kirsten can speak Dutch, English, French, and German. She is known for wearing her special glasses because she is near-sighted.

Kirsten's Junior Tennis Career

In 2001, Kirsten won a bronze medal at the European Youth Olympic Festival in Spain.

In 2002, Kirsten and her partner Elke Clijsters won the US Open girls' doubles title. They beat Shadisha Robsinon and Tory Zawacki in the final.

In 2003, Kirsten won the Wimbledon Championships in girls' singles. She beat Anna Chakvetadze in the final. She also won the US Open in girls' singles, defeating Michaëlla Krajicek. After these big wins, Kirsten was chosen to join the Belgium Fed Cup team for the 2003 Fed Cup semifinal against the United States. She played her first Fed Cup match against Meghann Shaughnessy, who was ranked No. 17 in the world, and lost a close match. Kirsten finished 2003 as the world's No. 1 junior player in both singles and doubles. At the end of that year, she was named the Best Belgian Talent and the ITF Junior World Champion.

Kirsten's Professional Tennis Journey

Starting Out and Dealing with Injuries (2001–2008)

Kirsten played her first professional match in 2001 when she was 15. The next year, she won her first singles title on the ITF Circuit. She won another title two weeks later. In 2003, Kirsten played her first match on the main WTA Tour in Antwerp. In 2004, she tried to get into the main draw at Wimbledon for the first time. She later found out she had a back injury that kept her from playing for several months.

She returned to playing in May 2005. In 2006, Kirsten made it into the main draws of the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. At the French Open, she won her first Grand Slam match. At the US Open, she reached the second round. She also played mixed doubles at Wimbledon with Andy Murray.

In 2007, Kirsten had a wrist injury that kept her from playing for several months. When she returned, she mostly played on the ITF Circuit. In 2008, because of her injuries and lower ranking, she played mostly ITF tournaments. She reached four finals and won three of them. She started 2008 ranked No. 287 and finished the year at No. 104.

Breaking into the Top 100 (2009–2010)

Kirsten Flipkens at the 2009 US Open

Kirsten played at the Australian Open in 2009 and won her first match there. She then reached the second round at the French Open. She had a great run at Wimbledon, reaching the third round for the first time in a major.

At the US Open, she reached the third round again after winning two matches. She then lost to her friend and fellow Belgian, Kim Clijsters, who went on to win the tournament. In October 2009, she reached the quarterfinals of the Luxembourg Open. By the end of 2009, Kirsten entered the top 100 players in the world for the first time.

Kirsten Flipkens in 2010

Kirsten continued to play well in 2010. She reached the quarterfinals at the Hobart International. At the Australian Open, she lost in the first round to Justine Henin. In March, she reached the third round at Indian Wells. At the French Open, she won her first-round match. Before Wimbledon, she reached the semifinals of the Rosmalen Championships. She had a recurring wrist injury and had surgery at the end of 2010.

First WTA Title and Comeback (2011–2012)

Kirsten had a tough start to 2011, losing early in many tournaments. She reached the semifinals at the Morocco Open in May.

In April 2012, doctors found four dangerous blood clots in her leg. This stopped her from playing for two months. Her ranking dropped to No. 262, and she lost her funding from the Flemish Tennis Association. She made a great comeback at the Rosmalen Championships, beating Samantha Stosur and reaching the semifinals. She qualified for the US Open and made it to the second round. She also played doubles with Kim Clijsters.

In September 2012, Kirsten won her first WTA title at the Tournoi de Québec. She beat top players like Dominika Cibulková and Mona Barthel. She continued her success in October at the Generali Ladies Linz tournament, reaching the semifinals. These results helped her ranking climb to No. 58. During this time, Kim Clijsters also started helping her as a coach.

Wimbledon Semifinalist and Top 15 (2013)

Kirsten Flipkens with Colin Fleming

Kirsten started 2013 very strongly. She reached the quarterfinals at the ASB Classic and the semifinals at the Hobart International. Her next tournament was the Australian Open. She won three matches to reach the fourth round, which was her best Grand Slam result at that time. She then lost to Maria Sharapova.

She reached the quarterfinals at the U.S. Indoor Championships and the Miami Open. At the Miami Open, she beat Petra Kvitová. She started the French Open as the 21st seed. After the French Open, Kirsten entered the top 20 players in the world for the first time.

Kirsten Flipkens at the 2013 Wimbledon

To get ready for Wimbledon, Kirsten played in the Birmingham Classic and reached the final at the Rosmalen Grass Court Championships. At Wimbledon, Kirsten was the 20th seed. She surprised everyone by reaching the semifinals of a Grand Slam for the first time! She beat Flavia Pennetta and former champion Petra Kvitová. However, she lost to Marion Bartoli in the semifinals. During this match, Kirsten hurt her knee, which kept her from playing for a month. A month after Wimbledon, Kirsten reached her highest ranking ever, No. 13 in the world.

In August, she beat Venus Williams at the Canadian Open and reached the quarterfinals. At the US Open, she lost in the first round to Venus Williams. She finished 2013 ranked No. 20 in the world.

Consistent Play and More Injuries (2014–2015)

Kirsten Flipkens at the 2014 Madrid Open

Kirsten started 2014 by reaching the semifinals at the Auckland Open. She then reached the quarterfinals of the Hobart International. At the Australian Open, she reached the second round. In February, she made it to the quarterfinals of the Open GDF Suez in Paris. A month later, she reached the fourth round at the Miami Open.

At the French Open, Kirsten lost in the second round. She had to stop playing in the doubles tournament after fainting during practice. Doctors checked her heart, but thankfully, she was healthy.

Kirsten started the grass-court season by reaching the quarterfinals of the Birmingham Classic. At Wimbledon, she reached the third round. In the second half of 2014, Kirsten had fewer successful results. She reached the quarterfinals of the Connecticut Open. At the US Open, she lost in the first round.

At the end of 2014, she played in the first International Premier Tennis League event. She played for the Manila Mavericks with stars like Maria Sharapova and Andy Murray. She was especially good in mixed doubles. Kirsten finished 2014 ranked No. 46.

Kirsten Flipkens in 2015

Kirsten started 2015 with a knee injury. She reached her first quarterfinal of the season at the Katowice Open. In April, she had to stop playing due to a leg injury. Despite this, she played at the French Open. She won only one match during the grass-court season at Wimbledon. After Wimbledon, her ranking dropped out of the top 100.

In July, she reached her first semifinal of 2015 at the İstanbul Cup. The next week, she reached the quarterfinals at the Baku Cup. These results helped her get back into the top 100. At the US Open, she lost in the first round. After the US Open, Kirsten was diagnosed with a cyst on her wrist, which kept her from playing again. She made a successful comeback at the Linz Open, reaching the semifinal and beating former No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki. She finished 2015 ranked No. 93.

Olympic Debut and First Doubles Title (2016)

Flipkens at Wimbledon, 2016

Kirsten started 2016 with a quarterfinal in Auckland. She reached the second round of the Australian Open. In doubles, she and her partner Dominika Cibulková reached the third round, their best Grand Slam doubles result at that time. At the Monterrey Open, she reached the final but lost to Heather Watson. This result brought her back into the top 60.

During the clay-court season, Kirsten had a wrist injury. At the French Open, she lost in the first round. At the Mallorca Open, Kirsten surprised everyone by beating the French Open champion and world No. 2, Garbiñe Muguruza, in the first round. She reached the semifinals there.

Kirsten played in her first Olympics in both singles and doubles. In singles, she famously beat the gold medalist from the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Venus Williams, in the first round. She then reached the third round. In doubles, she played with Yanina Wickmayer.

She reached the quarterfinals of the Connecticut Open. She won her first doubles title at the Korea Open, partnering with Johanna Larsson.

At the end of 2016, Kirsten received the Fed Cup Commitment Award for playing for the Belgian Fed Cup team for 13 years. She was also nominated for "Shot of the Year" at the WTA Awards. Kirsten finished 2016 ranked No. 63.

Doubles Success and Retirement (2017–2023)

Kirsten Flipkens at the 2018 French Open

In 2017, Kirsten had fewer big results in singles. She reached two quarterfinals and the third round of the Miami Open.

However, Kirsten had great success in doubles in 2017. She reached a semifinal early in the season. She made it to the final of the Nuremberg Cup. She then reached the quarterfinals of the French Open. After this, she entered the top 50 in doubles. She won her second career doubles title at the Rosmalen Grass Court Championships with Dominika Cibulková. She also reached the third round at Wimbledon with Sania Mirza. She finished the year by reaching the final at the Luxembourg Open.

Kirsten announced that the 2022 Wimbledon Championships would be her last singles tournament. She won her first match but then lost in the second round to Simona Halep.

She won her sixth doubles title at the Transylvania Open in October 2022 with Laura Siegemund. They then won their seventh tour title together at the 2023 Hobart International.

Kirsten played her very last doubles match at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships in July 2023. She reached the third round with Timea Babos.

Playing for Belgium

Fed Cup / Billie Jean King Cup

In September 2006, Kirsten played for the Belgian Fed Cup team in the final against Italy. She lost both her singles matches. She and Justine Henin-Hardenne played the deciding doubles match, but had to stop playing because Justine got injured. Belgium lost the final.

In 2015, Kirsten and her teammates tried to get Belgium back into World Group II of the Fed Cup, but they lost their final match against Croatia.

In 2016, Kirsten helped the Belgian team win against Serbia, which secured their spot back in World Group II after three years. She won a key match against Ivana Jorović.

In the 2017 Fed Cup match against Romania, Kirsten won her singles match. This helped the Belgian team get a spot in the World Group play-offs.

Kirsten's Playing Style

Kirsten describes herself as an "all-court player." This means she can play well from all areas of the court. She says her biggest strengths are her serve and her all-around game. Even though she is not very tall or physically strong, she makes up for it with a good forehand, a strong serve, and quickness. She can play almost every type of shot, which often earns her "Shot of the Day" awards from the WTA. Her special shot is a backhand slice, and she often uses a "serve-and-volley" tactic, where she serves and then runs to the net. She likes playing on fast courts, and her favorite surface is grass.

Coaching Team

In December 2012, Maxime Braeckman became Kirsten's full-time coach. She also sometimes worked with Kim Clijsters. In October 2013, Kirsten and Maxime Braeckman stopped working together because he wanted to spend more time with his family.

In May 2014, Kirsten announced she would work with former tennis player Xavier Malisse. However, they stopped working together in June of the same year.

Awards and Recognition

At the end of 2012, Kirsten was nominated for "Comeback Player of the Year" at the WTA Awards. In December, she received the VTV Award for "Belgian Player of the Year." On December 22, 2013, she received the important award for Sportswoman of the Year in Belgium. She also won the VTV Award for "Belgian Player of the Year" for the second year in a row. In 2016, she received the Fed Cup Commitment Award for playing the most years for the Belgian Fed Cup team.

Career Statistics

Grand Slam Tournament Finals

Mixed Doubles: 1 (Runner-up)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Loss	2022	US Open	Hard	Édouard Roger-Vasselin	Storm Sanders John Peers	6–4, 4–6, [7–10]

Grand Slam Tournament Performance Timelines

**Key**
W	F	SF	QF	#R	RR	Q#	A	P	Z#	PO	G	F-S	SF-B	NMS	NH

(W) Won; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (A) absent; (Z#) Davis/Fed Cup Zonal Group (with number indication) or (PO) play-off; (G) gold, (F-S) silver or (SF-B) bronze Olympic medal; a (NMS) downgraded Masters Series/1000 tournament; (NH) not held. SR=strike rate (events won/competed)

To avoid confusion and double counting, these charts are updated at the conclusion of a tournament or when the player's participation has ended.

Singles

Tournament	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	SR	W–L	Win %
Australian Open	A	A	A	1R	A	2R	1R	1R	Q3	4R	2R	1R	2R	1R	2R	1R	1R	1R	1R	0 / 14	7–14	33%
French Open	A	Q1	2R	A	Q2	2R	2R	1R	A	2R	2R	1R	1R	2R	2R	1R	1R	A	A	0 / 12	7–12	37%
Wimbledon	Q2	Q3	1R	A	Q2	3R	2R	1R	A	SF	3R	2R	2R	2R	2R	2R	NH	A	2R	0 / 12	16–12	57%
US Open	A	Q1	2R	A	Q2	3R	1R	Q1	2R	1R	1R	1R	1R	2R	2R	2R	2R	A	A	0 / 12	8–12	40%
Win–loss	0–0	0–0	2–3	0–1	0–0	6–4	2–4	0–3	1–1	9–4	4–4	1–4	2–4	3–4	4–4	2–4	1–3	0–1	1–2	0 / 50	38–50	43%
Career statistics
Titles	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		Career total: 1
Finals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	0		Career total: 4
Year-end ranking	169	201	105	363	104	81	77	194	54	20	46	93	63	76	48	95	85	305	241	$6,028,921

Doubles

Tournament	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	SR	W–L	Win%
Australian Open	1R	1R	A	1R	1R	2R	3R	2R	1R	3R	2R	2R	QF	1R	0 / 13	11–13	46%
French Open	1R	A	A	A	2R	A	2R	QF	2R	SF	2R	A	2R	2R	0 / 9	13–9	59%
Wimbledon	1R	A	A	2R	1R	A	1R	3R	3R	2R	NH	A	3R	3R	0 / 9	10–9	53%
US Open	1R	A	1R	2R	1R	2R	1R	1R	1R	1R	1R	A	QF		0 / 11	5–11	31%
Win–loss	0–4	0–1	0–1	2–3	1–4	2–2	3–4	6–4	3–4	7–4	2–3	1–1	9–4	3–3	0 / 42	39–42	48%

Mixed Doubles

This table is current through the 2023 Wimbledon Championships.

Tournament	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	SR	W–L	Win %
Australian Open	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	1R	A	1R	1R	0 / 3	0–3	0%
French Open	1R	A	A	A	A	A	A	NH	A	A	A	0 / 1	0–1	0%
Wimbledon	A	A	A	A	2R	3R	A	NH	A	A	1R	0 / 3	3–3	50%
US Open	A	A	A	A	A	A	2R	NH	A	F		0 / 2	5–2	71%
Win–loss	0–1	0–0	0–0	0–0	1–1	2–1	1–1	0–1	0–0	4–2	0–2	0 / 9	8–9	47%