1. Overview
Kimberly Po is an American former professional tennis player who achieved significant success in her career, particularly in doubles. Born on October 20, 1971, in Los Angeles, California, she turned professional in 1991 and retired in 2002. Po won the mixed doubles title at Wimbledon in 2000, partnering Donald Johnson. She also reached the finals of the US Open twice, as a runner-up in women's doubles in 2001 with Nathalie Tauziat, and in mixed doubles in 1999, also with Johnson. Throughout her career, she secured five WTA Tour doubles titles. Her career-high world rankings were No. 14 in singles, achieved on June 9, 1997, and No. 6 in doubles, reached on September 10, 2001. She maintained a career singles record of 200 wins and 180 losses, and a doubles record of 250 wins and 216 losses, accumulating over 1.90 M USD in prize money.
2. Early Life and Background
Kimberly Po was born on October 20, 1971, in Los Angeles, California, United States. She resided in Rolling Hills, California. Po stands at 63 in (160 cm) tall and weighs 119 lb (54 kg). She played with her right hand and utilized a two-handed backhand.
3. Junior Career
Before turning professional, Kimberly Po had a notable junior career, particularly in doubles. She achieved consecutive victories in the junior girls' doubles at the US Open, winning the title in both 1987 and 1988. In both instances, she partnered with fellow American player Meredith McGrath.
4. Professional Career
Kimberly Po's professional tennis career spanned from 1991 to 2002, during which she competed extensively in both singles and doubles, achieving her most significant successes in the latter.
4.1. Debut and Early Career
Kimberly Po officially turned professional in 1991. Her Grand Slam debut came at the 1991 US Open, where she advanced to the third round before being defeated by Natalia Zvereva, who was representing the Soviet Union at the time. By 1993, she had consistently reached the third round in three of the four major Grand Slam tournaments, excluding Wimbledon, demonstrating her early progress on the professional circuit.
4.2. Singles Career
Po's singles career saw her achieve a respectable record of 200 wins against 180 losses. Her highest singles world ranking was No. 14, which she attained on June 9, 1997. Her most successful singles performance at a Grand Slam event occurred at the 1997 Australian Open, where she reached the quarterfinals. On her path to the quarterfinals, she notably defeated Japanese players Ai Sugiyama in the second round and Rika Hiraki in the third round, followed by a victory over the seventh seed, Lindsay Davenport, in the fourth round. She was ultimately eliminated in the quarterfinals by Amanda Coetzer. In other Grand Slam appearances, she reached the third round of the French Open in 1993 and 1997, the second round of Wimbledon in 1992, 1994, 1996, and 1998, and her best result at the US Open was reaching the fourth round in 1998. She did not win any singles titles on the WTA Tour, but secured three titles on the ITF circuit.
4.3. Doubles Career
In women's doubles, Kimberly Po achieved considerable success, winning five WTA Tour titles and one ITF title. Her career doubles record stands at 250 wins and 216 losses. She reached a career-high doubles ranking of No. 6 on September 10, 2001. Her most significant Grand Slam doubles result was a runner-up finish at the 2001 US Open, where she partnered with Nathalie Tauziat of France, losing to the American-Australian pair of Lisa Raymond and Rennae Stubbs. In the same year, she reached the semifinals of Wimbledon and the quarterfinals of the 2001 French Open, both with Tauziat, and the third round of the 2001 Australian Open.
Po competed in 19 WTA Tour doubles finals, winning 5 titles and finishing as runner-up 14 times.
| Result | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1. | Jan 1993 | Brisbane | Hard | Shannan McCarthy (United States) | Conchita Martínez (Spain) Larisa Neiland (Latvia) | 2-6, 2-6 |
| Loss | 2. | Feb 1993 | Chicago | Carpet (i) | Amy Frazier (United States) | Katrina Adams (United States) Zina Garrison-Jackson (United States) | 6-7(7-9), 3-6 |
| Loss | 3. | Apr 1996 | Tokyo | Hard | Amy Frazier (United States) | Kimiko Date (Japan) Ai Sugiyama (Japan) | 6-7(6-8), 7-6(8-6), 3-6 |
| Loss | 4. | Aug 1996 | Los Angeles | Hard | Amy Frazier (United States) | Lindsay Davenport (United States) Natasha Zvereva (Belarus) | 1-6, 4-6 |
| Loss | 5. | Oct 1996 | Quebec City | Hard (i) | Amy Frazier (United States) | Debbie Graham (United States) Brenda Schultz-McCarthy (Netherlands) | 1-6, 4-6 |
| Loss | 6. | Aug 1997 | San Diego | Hard | Amy Frazier (United States) | Martina Hingis (Switzerland) Arantxa Sánchez Vicario (Spain) | 3-6, 5-7 |
| Win | 1. | Sep 1998 | Quebec City | Hard (i) | Lori McNeil (United States) | Chanda Rubin (United States) Sandrine Testud (France) | 6-7(3-7), 7-5, 6-4 |
| Win | 2. | Apr 1999 | Tokyo | Hard | Corina Morariu (United States) | Kerry-Anne Guse (Australia) Catherine Barclay (Australia) | 6-3, 6-2 |
| Win | 3. | Feb 2000 | Oklahoma City | Hard (i) | Corina Morariu (United States) | Tamarine Tanasugarn (Thailand) Elena Tatarkova (Ukraine) | 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 |
| Loss | 7. | Aug 2000 | Los Angeles | Hard | Anne-Gaëlle Sidot (France) | Els Callens (Belgium) Dominique Van Roost (Belgium) | 2-6, 5-7 |
| Loss | 8. | Oct 2000 | Zurich | Hard (i) | Anne-Gaëlle Sidot (France) | Martina Hingis (Switzerland) Anna Kournikova (Russia) | 3-6, 4-6 |
| Loss | 9. | Nov 2000 | Quebec City | Hard (i) | Els Callens (Belgium) | Meghann Shaughnessy (United States) Nicole Pratt (Australia) | 3-6, 4-6 |
| Loss | 10. | Feb 2001 | Paris | Carpet (i) | Nathalie Tauziat (France) | Iva Majoli (Croatia) Virginie Razzano (France) | 3-6, 5-7 |
| Loss | 11. | Feb 2001 | Nice | Carpet (i) | Nathalie Tauziat (France) | Émilie Loit (France) Anne-Gaëlle Sidot (France) | 6-1, 2-6, 0-6 |
| Loss | 12. | Jun 2001 | Birmingham | Grass | Nathalie Tauziat (France) | Cara Black (Zimbabwe) Elena Likhovtseva (Russia) | 1-6, 2-6 |
| Win | 4. | Aug 2001 | Los Angeles | Hard | Nathalie Tauziat (France) | Nicole Arendt (United States) Caroline Vis (Netherlands) | 6-3, 7-5 |
| Win | 5. | Aug 2001 | Toronto | Hard | Nicole Pratt (Australia) | Tina Križan (Slovenia) Katarina Srebotnik (Slovenia) | 6-3, 6-1 |
| Loss | 13. | Aug 2001 | US Open | Hard | Nathalie Tauziat (France) | Lisa Raymond (United States) Rennae Stubbs (Australia) | 2-6, 7-5, 5-7 |
| Loss | 14. | Jun 2002 | Birmingham | Grass | Nathalie Tauziat (France) | Shinobu Asagoe (Japan) Els Callens (Belgium) | 4-6, 3-6 |
4.4. Mixed Doubles Career
Kimberly Po's mixed doubles career was highlighted by a Grand Slam title and a runner-up finish. She won the mixed doubles title at the 2000 Wimbledon Championships, partnering with fellow American Donald Johnson. They defeated the Australian-Belgian pair of Lleyton Hewitt and Kim Clijsters in the final with a score of 6-4, 7-6(7-3). Her first Grand Slam final appearance was in mixed doubles at the 1999 US Open, where she and Donald Johnson were runners-up, losing to the Indian-Japanese team of Mahesh Bhupathi and Ai Sugiyama 4-6, 4-6. She also reached the quarterfinals of the 1999 Australian Open and the 2000 French Open in mixed doubles.
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1999 | US Open | Hard | Donald Johnson (United States) | Ai Sugiyama (Japan) Mahesh Bhupathi (India) | 6-4, 6-4 |
| Win | 2000 | Wimbledon | Grass | Donald Johnson (United States) | Kim Clijsters (Belgium) Lleyton Hewitt (Australia) | 6-4, 7-6(7-3) |
4.5. Notable Matches and Tournaments
Kimberly Po participated in numerous significant tournaments throughout her career, including several events held in Japan, where she frequently faced Japanese players.
In August 1995, at the Canadian Open (then known as the Canadian Masters), Po faced Monica Seles in a highly anticipated match. This marked Seles's return to the tour after a stabbing incident in April 1993. Seles won the match convincingly, 6-0, 6-3, marking a successful comeback.
In April 1996, Po and her partner Amy Frazier reached the women's doubles final of the Japan Open, where they were defeated by the Japanese duo of Kimiko Date and Ai Sugiyama in a close three-set match, 6-7, 7-6, 3-6. Later that year, at the 1996 US Open, Po caused an upset by defeating the 10th seed, Kimiko Date, in the first round with a straight-sets victory, 6-2, 7-5. Following the US Open, Po traveled to Japan for the Nichirei Ladies tournament, where she advanced to the semifinals in both singles and doubles. Kimiko Date announced her retirement on September 25, 1996, shortly after the US Open, making her first-round loss to Po her final Grand Slam appearance. In April 1997, Po again reached the singles semifinals of the Japan Open, this time losing to Ai Sugiyama.
4.6. Injuries and Recovery
In November 1997, after reaching her career-high singles ranking, Kimberly Po underwent surgery on her right shoulder. This injury forced her to be absent from the professional tour for an extended period, and she did not return to competition until May 1998.
4.7. Retirement
Kimberly Po concluded her professional tennis career in 2002. In her final season, she primarily focused on doubles play. At the 2002 Wimbledon Championships, she reached the women's doubles quarterfinals with Nathalie Tauziat. She also made a strong run in mixed doubles at Wimbledon, partnering Donald Johnson, reaching the semifinals for the first time since their 2000 title run, but they were defeated by Mahesh Bhupathi and Elena Likhovtseva 4-6, 6-1, 3-6. At the 2002 US Open, she reached the women's doubles quarterfinals, partnering with Corina Morariu, who had recently overcome leukemia. Po-Messerli and Morariu also participated in the Toyota Princess Cup in September 2002, which was the final edition of that tournament. Her last professional match was at the Zurich Open in October 2002, where she and Natasha Zvereva lost in the quarterfinals to Elena Dementieva and Nadia Petrova 4-6, 3-6. Kimberly Po and Natasha Zvereva both retired from professional tennis simultaneously after this match.
5. Personal Life
In 2001, Kimberly Po married Oliver Messerli. Following her marriage, she adopted the combined surname Po-Messerli, and competed under this name for the remainder of her career.
6. External links
- [https://www.wtatennis.com/players/200002/kimberly-po-messerli Kimberly Po-Messerli at the Women's Tennis Association]
- [https://www.itftennis.com/en/players/kimberly-po-messerli/WTA00002000/USA/ Kimberly Po-Messerli at the International Tennis Federation]
- [https://www.billiejeankingcup.com/en/players/player.aspx?id=800180097 Kimberly Po-Messerli at the Billie Jean King Cup]
- [https://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/players/200002.html Kimberly Po-Messerli at Wimbledon]