Ivo Karlović facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Ivo Karlović

Karlović at the 2018 Wimbledon Championships
Country (sports)	Croatia
Residence	Miami, Florida, United States Grand Bahama, The Bahamas
Born	(1979-02-28) 28 February 1979 (age 46) Zagreb, SR Croatia, SFR Yugoslavia
Height	2.11 m (6 ft 11 in)
Turned pro	2000
Retired	2024
Plays	Right-handed (one-handed backhand)
Prize money	US$10,160,232
Singles
Career record	371–346 (51.74% in ATP Tour and Grand Slam main draw matches, and in Davis Cup)
Career titles	8
Highest ranking	No. 14 (18 August 2008)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	4R (2010)
French Open	3R (2014, 2016)
Wimbledon	QF (2009)
US Open	4R (2016)
Other tournaments
Olympic Games	3R (2004)
Doubles
Career record	91–109 (45.5% in ATP Tour and Grand Slam main draw matches, and in Davis Cup)
Career titles	2
Highest ranking	No. 44 (10 April 2006)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	SF (2010)
French Open	2R (2004, 2011)
Wimbledon	3R (2005)
US Open	2R (2004, 2007, 2011)
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
French Open	1R (2015)
Team competitions
Davis Cup	W (2005)

Ivo Karlović (born on February 28, 1979) is a former professional tennis player from Croatia. He is one of the tallest tennis players ever, standing at 211 cm (6 ft 11 in).

Karlović won eight ATP Tour singles titles between 2007 and 2016. He is known for his powerful serve-and-volley style of play, where he serves very hard and then rushes to the net to hit the ball again. He once held the record for the fastest serve in professional tennis, hitting 251 km/h (156 mph). He also held the record for the most career aces (serves that opponents cannot touch) from 1991 onwards, with 13,728 aces, before John Isner broke his record in 2022.

Ivo Karlović's Tennis Journey

Starting Out: Junior Career

Ivo Karlović began his junior tennis career in April 1995 when he was 16 years old. He didn't play many junior tournaments, only eight in total. A notable moment was when he beat a 15-year-old Marat Safin at the 1995 Junior Davis Cup. In doubles, he often played with his friend and future world No. 3 player, Ivan Ljubičić.

Turning Pro: Early Years (1998–2004)

Karlović officially became a professional player in 2000, at the age of 21. He played his first big tournament, called an ITF Futures event, in 1998. He joined the Croatia Davis Cup team in 2000.

A huge surprise happened at Wimbledon in 2003. Karlović, who was playing in his first major Grand Slam tournament, beat the defending champion, Lleyton Hewitt, in the first round. This was a very rare achievement! He ended 2003 in the top 100 players. In 2004, he continued to play well, winning a tournament in California and reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon.

First Big Finals and Wins (2005–2007)

In 2005, Karlović reached his first ATP final at the Queen's Club Championships, a famous grass-court tournament. He lost to Andy Roddick, who later said Karlović's serve was "probably the biggest weapon in tennis." In November 2005, he was part of the Croatian team that won the Davis Cup, a major international team competition.

In 2006, he won his first ATP Doubles Tournament with Chris Haggard. He also moved into the top 50 rankings for both singles and doubles players.

The year 2007 was special for Karlović. He won his first ATP singles title in Houston, Texas. He also won another title in Nottingham, England, on grass courts. Later that year, he won his third title in Stockholm, Sweden. He was one of only two players that year (the other being Roger Federer) to win titles on three different types of tennis courts.

Reaching Higher Rankings (2008–2010)

At the 2008 Australian Open, Karlović teamed up with John Isner for doubles. They were the tallest doubles pair in tennis history! In singles, Karlović had a big win at the Cincinnati Masters in July 2008, beating world No. 1 Roger Federer. This was his first win against Federer. He also beat Novak Djokovic at the Madrid Masters.

In 2009, Karlović reached his first Grand Slam quarterfinal at Wimbledon. He played against Roger Federer in that match. In a Davis Cup match, he hit an amazing 78 aces, setting a new record at the time.

At the 2010 Australian Open, Karlović reached the fourth round, his best result there. He also made it to the final of the Delray Beach tournament. However, he had to miss Wimbledon that year because of a foot injury.

Overcoming Challenges (2011–2014)

Karlović's ranking dropped in 2011. In 2013, he faced a serious health challenge when he suffered from a severe illness. After a long time recovering, he was able to return to playing tennis in July. That same month, he won his fifth ATP title in Bogota, Colombia.

In 2014, Karlović had a strong year, reaching four ATP finals. He played in the finals of tournaments in Memphis, Düsseldorf, Newport, and Bogota. These good results helped him get back into the top 30 players in the world.

More Titles and Records (2015–2017)

Karlović continued his success in 2015, winning his sixth title at the Delray Beach Open. He also won a doubles title with Łukasz Kubot.

In 2016, despite a knee injury that kept him off the court for two months, Karlović won two more titles. He won the Hall of Fame Open, becoming the oldest player to win an ATP title since 1979 at 37 years old. He then won the Los Cabos Open, which helped him return to the top 20 rankings.

At the 2017 Australian Open, Karlović played a very long match, lasting over 5 hours. He also set an Australian Open record by hitting 75 aces in that match.

Defying Age and Retirement (2018–2024)

Karlović continued to play well even as he got older. In 2018, at 39 years and seven months old, he became the oldest champion of an ATP Challenger tournament, winning in Calgary.

In 2019, at almost 40 years old, he reached the final of the Maharashtra Open, becoming the oldest ATP finalist since 1977. He also became the first player over 40 to win an ATP Tour match since Jimmy Connors in 1995.

Karlović played his last professional tournament at the US Open in 2021. He successfully qualified for the main draw, making it his 63rd Grand Slam appearance. He officially retired from tennis in February 2024.

Playing Style

Karlović is known for his very strong and attacking playing style. His best weapon is his serve, which is considered one of the most powerful in tennis history because of his height. He has hit the second-most aces in ATP history, with 13,762.

Besides his huge serve, Karlović also has a strong forehand shot. He often hits the ball deep and fast. For his backhand, he usually uses a slice shot, which makes the ball spin and stay low.

Karlović is also famous for his "serve-and-volley" strategy. This means after he serves, he quickly runs to the net to hit the next shot. His excellent skills at the net are a key part of his game.

Serving Records

Karlović produced the fastest serve ever during a Davis Cup doubles match against Germany on March 5, 2011.

On September 18, 2009, Karlović hit 78 aces in a Davis Cup match. This broke his own previous record. Only once in his ATP career did he not hit an ace in a match. His record for aces in a single match was later broken by John Isner and Nicolas Mahut in the longest tennis match ever at Wimbledon in 2010.

In 2007, Karlović served over 1,000 aces in a single season. In 2015, he became the second player ever to hit 10,000 career aces.

Karlović's fastest official serve was 251 km/h (156 mph), which he hit during a Davis Cup doubles match in 2011. This was an official ATP record at the time. He also hit the fastest second serve ever recorded, at 232 km/h (144 mph).

On June 19, 2015, Karlović set a new record for the most aces in a three-set ATP Tour match, hitting 45 aces in a win over Tomáš Berdych.

About Ivo Karlović's Life

Ivo Karlović's mother, Gordana, worked in agriculture, and his father, Vlado, was a meteorologist (someone who studies weather).

Karlović married his wife, Alsi, on March 29, 2005. They had their first child, Jada Valentina, in September 2011. He loves playing basketball in his free time. Karlović is also known for his funny posts on Twitter. He wears a European shoe size 51, which is quite large!

Equipment and Clothing

Ivo Karlović uses a Head Graphene Radical Pro tennis racket. He wears clothing from Mizuno. Over his career, he has used different rackets and worn clothes from various brands like Adidas and Nike.

Images for kids

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  Karlović at the 2004 US Open

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  Ivo Karlović and Ivan Dodig in a Davis Cup doubles match against Germany

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  Karlović at the 2013 US Open

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  Karlović at the 2016 Wimbledon Championships

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  Karlović produced the fastest serve ever during a Davis Cup doubles match against Germany on March 5, 2011.

See also

In Spanish: Ivo Karlović para niños