The 39-year-old from Zagreb has made ATP Challenger history!
Former Croatian Davis Cup representative Ivo Karlović has become the oldest winner of the ATP Challenger in history after raising the Cup in Canada, reports Index.hr on October 22, 2018.
The 39-year-old Zagreb native won the Calgary tournament final after defeating Australian Jordon Thompson, a player 15 years his junior, with a score of 7:6 (3), 6:3. Karlović was the second-seed of the tournament, and Thompson was the first.
Ivo #Karlovic is the oldest player to have won an @ATPChallenger title #Calgary pic.twitter.com/1CSezE2YIf
— Luca Brancher (@LucaBeck) October 21, 2018
The seventh ATP Challenger title for Karlović
This is Karlović’s seventh title in the Challenger series, and the first after he celebrated in the US seven years ago when he overcame America’s James Blake and Sam Querrey.
Along with his seven Challenger titles, the Croatian tennis player also has eight ATP titles. The last one Karlović won was two years ago in Mexico against Spaniard Feliciano Lopez.
Karlović moves up in the ATP Ranking
The triumph in Calgary has moved Karlović up in the ATP Ranking. Jumping up 13 positions, he is now the 108th best tennis player in the world. If we were to look only at the results achieved in 2018, then the Croatian tennis player would be ranked the 100th best in the world.
HISTORY in Calgary!@ivokarlovic becomes the oldest winner in #ATPChallenger history. The 39-year-old reigns at the @YYCNBChallenger on Sunday.
More ? https://t.co/pcB99rWC7T pic.twitter.com/IxvO4XNv5T
— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) October 21, 2018
Other impressive stats about Karlović
Though it’s not just Karlović’s impressive age that has him recognized – Karlović is also one of the tallest professional tennis players in history, coming in at a height of 211 cm (6 ft 11 in). He even officially held the record for the fastest serve recorded in professional tennis, measuring 251 km/h (156 mph). Karović was, however, surpassed by Samuel Groth in 2012.
Last but not least, Karlović is considered one of the best serves on tour, and he even holds an all-time record for career aces with 12,936. He is also one of just four players in history to surpass 10,000 aces.
