When it comes to the professional tennis circuit, the attention understandably goes to the top of the game.
From who wins a Grand Slam to which player hits a career-high ranking well inside the world’s top 100.
However, the professional tennis circuit has literally thousands of athletes playing all over the world every week of the year.
For male players, the first goal to achieve in their professional career is that elusive single ATP point.
And when the ATP rankings were released this week, there was a new name among them: Cade Birrell.
The Aussie gained his first-ever ATP point and clocked in at number 2002 in the world.
The 24-year-old had qualified for the recent ITF tournament in Darwin and won his first-round match - something required to get that single point.
Although he already has a solid doubles ranking of 1464, making the rankings as a singles player has always been his ambition.
It’s a goal he’s had since growing up playing the game on the Gold Coast alongside his older sister Kimberly who plays on the WTA tour.
The journey
“Tennis has been a big part of my life for as long as I can remember, and from early on, I knew I wanted to compete on the professional tour,” he told The First Serve.
After playing in ITF junior tournaments across Oceania, he began his quest on the men’s circuit back in 2017.
At just 17-years-old he had his first qualifying win that year but it would be two more years until he qualified for his first main draw.
Like many players, his progress was paused during the pandemic, but he came back with a vengeance throughout 2022 and 2023 qualifying for five main draws across the world.
“The travelling I did last year came with its ups and downs. There were definitely a few matches that I look back on and think if I had my head screwed on right I could’ve won but I always tried to use that as a bit of motivation heading into the next tournament,” he says.
The travel brought opportunities but some difficult times for Cade.
“The love-hate relationship with travelling for tennis largely depends on the destination,” he says.
“Sure, there are some incredible tournaments in places like Germany, Cyprus, and Finland that make the experience worthwhile, but then there are times when you find yourself stuck in the middle of nowhere, like a remote part of Thailand, with little to do or see.”
“The mental strain can be draining. Competing at this level is also financially gruelling.
There’s barely any money coming in, while the expenses—flights, food, accommodation, and more—pile up fast. It’s a constant balancing act, and it often feels like you’re just treading water, trying to break even while chasing the dream.”
To fund his travel, Cade works in the pro shop at his parent’s tennis club on the Gold Coast. Despite this, the financial strain of the circuit forced him to reduce his travel.
“This year, my lighter schedule was more of a financial decision. Quite simply I wasn’t able to afford playing as many tournaments as I did in 2023.”
Regardless, strong results followed. He qualified for the grass court ITF tournament in Swan Hill but ran into a tough draw losing to the experienced Luke Saville first round.
After some tough losses in Tunisia in May, Cade was off the circuit for over three months before rejoining in the last few weeks.
And it was Darwin in September where the magic happened.
Gaining his first point
A third-set tiebreak win over teenager Arjun Balakrishnan in the final round of qualifying, set up a first-round match against the ATP-ranked Jarrod Joyce, a player he lost to earlier in 2024.
In a tight contest, Cade prevailed 6-4 3-6 7-5 to make the second round and earn his first point.
“Finally getting that first main draw win felt amazing—like lifting a massive weight off my shoulders,” Cade said.
“The match was tough, and I’m pretty sure my nerves were more exhausted than I was. But honestly, it felt like I’d been waiting forever for that moment, so I was just relieved I didn’t forget how to play tennis along the way.”
Cade would go out in the second round to number seed Omar Jasika in red-hot form.
“Omar was tough, he is playing super well at the moment going on an insane win streak,” he said.
“To be honest, I was pretty exhausted—both physically and emotionally—after a couple of really close, long matches earlier. I don’t feel like I had the chance to give it everything I had, but it’s something I’ll learn from and use to prepare better for future matches.”
What’s next?
Next up for Cade will be the ITF tournament in Cairns next week, where he’ll be battling through qualifying again.
It is another step for what he wants to achieve on the tennis court.
“The main goal for me in my tennis career is to compete in a grand slam. Preferably Wimbledon if I had a choice,” he confirmed.
And what strengths as a player will take him there?
“Besides my backhand smash I’d say my biggest strength as a player is my all-court game,” he explains.
“I’ve worked hard to develop a versatile style, so I feel comfortable hitting a wide range of shots from any part of the court. This allows me to adapt to different situations and opponents, which I think is a real asset in my game.”
In his downtime, Cade plays touch football and video games and “loves a good escape room.” He is already made the great escape from being outside the rankings to join 80 other Aussie men there.
It’s now time for his next big challenge to take his game, points and ranking to the next level. With age on his side and a determination built up since joining the circuit, he is definitely on the way up.
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