Published: 14 January 2022
Last updated: 4 March 2024
A year ago, Aslan Karatsev was an unknown qualifier; in 2022 he joins Diego Schwartzman and Denis Shapovalov as one of three Jewish-born men's players in the top 20
THIS TIME LAST year, Russian journeyman Aslan Karatsev was an unknown. Within two weeks he had become the first male qualifier ever to make the semi-finals in his debut at a Grand Slam.
He starts this year’s tournament as the 18th seed and at the time of publication, the man who beat him in the semi-finals last year, Novak Djokovic, is not even assured of participating.
The 2022 Australian Open begins on Monday amid unprecedented drama, and for the first time in recent memory, three men’s players with a Jewish background are in the Top 20.
Karatsev, aged 28, is the 18th seed; Argentina’s pocket dynamo Diego Schwartzman, aged 29, is seeded 13th and Canadian young gun Denis Shapovalov, 22, is seeded 14th.
Karatsev’s semi-final run in Melbourne kickstarted a breakout year for the Israeli-born player: After 10 years of struggling on the circuit, he won his first two singles titles, defeated the World’s Number 1 and 2 players, Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev.
He also reached the final of mixed doubles in the French Open and Tokyo Olympics, losing both times with his partner, Elena Vesnina.
His sensational rise saw him seeded number one at this week’s Sydney Classic lead-up tournament to the Open, where he reached the semi-finals at the time of publication.
In Melbourne, If Karatsev can get past the 10th seed, Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz (conqueror of Roger Federer at Wimbledon last year), he will face Rafael Nadal in the fourth round.
In the same side of the draw, the temperamental Shapovalov is blessed with attacking flair and a flowing one-handed backhand that make him a crowd favourite, even when he loses his temper. Shapovalov has bounced back from testing positive to Covid on his arrival in Australia, and helped guide Canada to an unlikely victory in the ATP Cup teams event last week.
