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Magali Kempen – Overview
Magali Kempen (born 30 November 1997) is a Belgian professional tennis player from the Herentals area who has developed from a long-time ITF singles competitor into an internationally successful doubles specialist. A right-hander with a two-handed backhand, she reached a career-high singles ranking of No. 191 on 3 April 2023 and a career-high doubles ranking of No. 34 on 21 September 2026. Her career accelerated dramatically in doubles from 2024 onward: she reached her first WTA final in Mérida, won WTA titles at Cluj-Napoca in 2025 and Rabat in 2026, reached the Cincinnati WTA 1000 final, made the Roland Garros quarterfinals and became a member of Belgium's Billie Jean King Cup team. She is ranked around No. 35 in doubles at the end of September 2026.
Background and Development
Kempen began playing tennis at the age of five and developed through the Belgian tennis system. Her long-time residence is listed as Herentals. Former Belgian professional Laurence Courtois has been among the coaches associated with her career.
Unlike many players who achieve rapid junior breakthroughs, Kempen's development was gradual. She spent years competing at lower-level professional tournaments before reaching the Top 200 in singles in her mid-twenties and the world's leading doubles ranks in her late twenties.
Playing Profile
Kempen plays right-handed with a two-handed backhand and lists hard court as her preferred surface. Her game developed effectively in both singles and doubles, but the latter eventually became her strongest discipline.
In doubles, her strengths include compact returns, anticipation, quick reactions around the net and the ability to combine effectively with different partners. Her rapid rise from outside the Top 200 in doubles in early 2024 to the Top 40 in 2026 reflects a significant shift in the level and consistency of her results.
Early Professional Career
Kempen began appearing regularly in professional events during her teenage years. She was ranked No. 1065 at the end of 2014 and improved to No. 658 in 2015. Progress remained gradual: she ended 2017 at No. 465 before an interrupted 2018 season left her temporarily without a singles ranking.
She returned strongly in 2019, compiling approximately 39 victories and finishing around No. 407. During these years most of her competition came at ITF tournaments in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.
ITF Singles Success
Kempen became a prolific winner on the ITF Women's World Tennis Tour. She has collected 11 ITF singles titles, with victories on both hard and clay courts.
Her ITF record was essential to her eventual climb toward the WTA Top 200. Rather than one spectacular breakthrough, she accumulated ranking points through repeated deep runs and tournament victories over several seasons.
Breakthrough Season – 2022
The 2022 season transformed Kempen's singles career. She compiled approximately 43 victories against 23 defeats and climbed from outside the Top 400 to a year-end ranking of No. 211.
That rise brought her close to Grand Slam qualifying level and allowed her to enter stronger ITF events and WTA qualifying tournaments. She reached a season-high ranking of No. 209.
Career-High Singles Ranking – 2023
Kempen's singles ranking peaked at world No. 191 on 3 April 2023. This was the first time she had established herself inside the Top 200 after almost a decade of professional competition.
She subsequently struggled to maintain the same momentum, finishing 2023 at No. 294 and 2024 at No. 415. Increasingly, her best results were coming in doubles.
Singles Career in Context
Kempen never became a regular WTA Tour singles player and has not reached a Grand Slam singles main draw. Her singles résumé is instead built around a substantial ITF career, highlighted by 11 titles and a Top-200 ranking.
Her yearly ranking progression illustrates her persistence: No. 634 in 2015, No. 460 in 2017, around No. 404 in 2019, No. 421 in 2020, No. 458 in 2021, No. 239 in 2022 and No. 294 in 2023 after reaching her career high of No. 191.
Rise as a Doubles Specialist
Doubles gradually became the more successful part of Kempen's career. She accumulated 28 ITF doubles titles, considerably more than her singles total, and developed into a player capable of competing successfully with numerous partners.
Her doubles ranking remained outside the Top 200 until 2023, but the subsequent improvement was dramatic. She rose from a 2023 season high of No. 158 to No. 139 in 2024, No. 63 in 2025 and ultimately No. 34 in 2026.
First WTA Final – Mérida 2024
Kempen reached her first WTA Tour doubles final at Mérida in 2024 alongside fellow Belgian Lara Salden. The result represented her first major breakthrough beyond ITF level.
Although the Belgian pair did not win the championship, the final demonstrated that Kempen's doubles game could succeed against established WTA-level opposition and helped accelerate her ranking climb.
First WTA Title – Cluj-Napoca 2025
Kempen captured her first WTA doubles championship at the Transylvania Open in Cluj-Napoca in 2025, partnering Czech player Anna Sisková.
The title was the most important achievement of her career to that point and helped carry her into the world's Top 100 in doubles. She reached a season high of No. 63 and finished 2025 at No. 71.
La Bisbal d'Empordà WTA 125 Champion – 2025
Kempen and Sisková also won the doubles championship at the La Bisbal d'Empordà WTA 125 tournament in Spain during 2025.
The result reinforced their successful partnership and gave Kempen her first WTA 125 doubles title in addition to her regular WTA Tour championship.
Grand Slam Debut – 2025
Kempen's doubles breakthrough finally brought her into Grand Slam competition in 2025. She made her Wimbledon women's doubles debut and also competed at the US Open.
She lost in the first round at both tournaments, but simply reaching major-level competition represented an important career milestone after many years on the ITF circuit.
Hobart Final – 2026
Kempen began 2026 strongly, again partnering Anna Sisková. The pair reached the doubles final at the Hobart International.
The result provided an early indication that Kempen's 2025 breakthrough would not be temporary and helped move her closer to the world's Top 50.
Second WTA Title – Rabat 2026
Kempen won her second regular WTA doubles title at Rabat in 2026, partnering China's Chong Eudice Wong. The championship on clay demonstrated her ability to achieve significant results with partners other than Sisková.
By this stage she had evolved from an ITF specialist into an established WTA-level doubles player.
Roland Garros Quarterfinal – 2026
Kempen produced her best Grand Slam performance at Roland Garros in 2026. Partnering experienced Slovenian Andreja Klepač, she reached the women's doubles quarterfinals.
They defeated the eighth-seeded team of Asia Muhammad and Fanny Stollár in the opening round, followed by victories over Ingrid Martins and Solana Sierra and the tenth-seeded team of Tereza Mihalíková and Olivia Nicholls.
Their run ended in the quarterfinals against top seeds Kateřina Siniaková and Taylor Townsend. The result established Kempen as a genuine Grand Slam-level doubles player.
Other Grand Slams – 2026
Kempen played all four Grand Slam doubles tournaments in 2026. She exited in the first round of the Australian Open, reached the Roland Garros quarterfinals and advanced to the second round at both Wimbledon and the US Open.
The season therefore marked her transition from occasional major participant to regular Grand Slam competitor.
Hamburg Final – 2026
During the European clay-court season Kempen formed a successful partnership with experienced doubles player Alexandra Panova. They reached the WTA final in Hamburg.
The partnership continued during the North American hard-court season and produced an even bigger result several weeks later.
Cincinnati WTA 1000 Final – 2026
Kempen's most important WTA final to date came at the Cincinnati Open in 2026. Partnering Panova, she reached the championship match of the WTA 1000 event.
A final at this level represented a major ranking breakthrough and helped propel Kempen to a career-high doubles ranking of No. 34 in September. It also confirmed that she could compete successfully against the strongest doubles teams in the world.
Billie Jean King Cup
Kempen made her Billie Jean King Cup debut for Belgium in 2025. Through September 2026 she had received three Belgian team nominations, played five ties and compiled a 2–3 doubles record.
Her emergence as one of Belgium's leading doubles specialists coincided with a strong period for the national team, and she was selected for the 2026 Billie Jean King Cup Finals under captain Wim Fissette.
Billie Jean King Cup Finals – 2026
Belgium reached the final eight of the Billie Jean King Cup in 2026 after an impressive campaign that included victory over the United States. Kempen was part of the Belgian squad alongside players including Greet Minnen, Hanne Vandewinkel and Lara Salden.
In the quarterfinal against Ukraine on 24 September, the tie reached a deciding doubles match at 1–1. Kempen and Salden faced Lyudmyla Kichenok and Anhelina Kalinina, losing 6–3, 6–3 as Ukraine advanced 2–1.
Career-High Doubles Ranking
Kempen reached a new career-high doubles ranking of world No. 34 on 21 September 2026. She was ranked approximately No. 35 at the end of September.
The scale of her improvement is striking: her doubles season highs progressed from No. 338 in 2021 to No. 222 in 2022, No. 158 in 2023, No. 139 in 2024, No. 63 in 2025 and No. 34 in 2026.
2026 Season
The 2026 season is the strongest of Kempen's career. Through late September she had compiled approximately 30 wins and 24 losses in WTA-recorded doubles competition, won Rabat, reached finals in Hobart, Hamburg and Cincinnati and made the Roland Garros quarterfinals.
Although the WTA website currently labels her profile “Inactive,” that designation does not describe her actual 2026 activity. She has competed extensively throughout the season, including at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in late September, and remains one of Belgium's highest-ranked active doubles players.
Titles and Major Results
WTA doubles titles – 2: Cluj-Napoca 2025, Rabat 2026
WTA doubles finals – Mérida 2024, Cluj-Napoca 2025, Hobart 2026, Rabat 2026, Hamburg 2026, Cincinnati 2026
WTA 125 doubles titles – 1: La Bisbal d'Empordà 2025
WTA 125 doubles finals – Oeiras 2026
ITF singles titles – 11
ITF doubles titles – 28
Best Grand Slam result – Roland Garros doubles quarterfinal, 2026
Career Statistics
Full name – Magali Kempen
Born – 30 November 1997
Nationality – Belgian
Residence – Herentals, Belgium
Plays – Right-handed, two-handed backhand
Started tennis – Age 5
Preferred surface – Hard
Career-high singles ranking – No. 191 (3 April 2023)
Career-high doubles ranking – No. 34 (21 September 2026)
Current doubles ranking – approximately No. 35
WTA singles titles – 0
WTA doubles titles – 2
WTA 125 doubles titles – 1
ITF singles titles – 11
ITF doubles titles – 28
Grand Slam doubles best – Quarterfinal, Roland Garros 2026
Billie Jean King Cup debut – 2025
Billie Jean King Cup record through September 2026 – 2–3 in doubles
Current status – Active doubles specialist
Career Assessment
Kempen's career is an excellent example of a relatively late professional breakthrough. For most of her early and mid-twenties she was known primarily as an ITF player, gradually accumulating 11 singles and 28 doubles titles without establishing herself on the main WTA Tour. Her singles peak of No. 191 in 2023 appeared initially to represent the high point of her career.
Instead, a transition toward doubles produced a much larger breakthrough. Between 2024 and 2026 she progressed from her first WTA final to two WTA titles, a WTA 125 championship, regular Grand Slam participation, a Roland Garros quarterfinal and a Cincinnati WTA 1000 final. Her doubles ranking consequently rose from outside the Top 150 to No. 34.
At 28 in October 2026, Kempen is in the strongest phase of her career. Her combination of WTA titles, Grand Slam progress, Billie Jean King Cup selection and a Top-40 doubles ranking has transformed her from a long-serving ITF professional into one of Belgium's leading international doubles players.
all texts by ChatGPT