Kane Waselenchuk facts for kids
Waselenchuk at 2014 US Open Racquetball Championships
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nationality | Canadian | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | November 9, 1981 Edmonton, Alberta |
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| Residence | Austin, Texas | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5'10" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 190 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | USA | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Racquetball | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Turned pro | 2000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coached by | Jim Winterton | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National finals | 1st Singles 1999–2001, 1st Doubles 2001 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest world ranking | 1 2004–2006, 2009–2017, 2019 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Kane Waselenchuk (born November 9, 1981) is a professional racquetball player from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He is known as one of the best racquetball players ever.
Waselenchuk was the number one player on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) for a record 13 times. He is a left-handed player who has been very successful. He even had an amazing winning streak of 134 matches in a row! This streak lasted for over three years.
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Kane's Amazing Career
Waselenchuk has won 118 IRT tournaments. This is more than any other player in history. He achieved these wins in only 172 tournaments, meaning he won almost 70% of the events he played in.
He has also won the US Open Racquetball Championships 15 times. This is the most important event in professional racquetball. He won it from 2003 to 2005 and again from 2008 to 2019.
From January 2009 to September 2013, Waselenchuk was almost unbeatable. He only lost matches if he had to stop playing because of an injury. His long winning streak finally ended when he lost to Jose Rojas in 2013.
Starting His Pro Journey
Waselenchuk began his professional career in April 2000 when he was 18. In his first tournament, he reached the quarter-finals. Later that year, he played in his first US Open. He surprised many by beating the defending champion, Jason Mannino.
In October 2001, just before his 20th birthday, Waselenchuk won his first IRT tournament. He finished his first full season ranked #4. The next season, 2002–03, he moved up to #2 in the world.
Becoming a Top Player
Waselenchuk started to dominate the IRT in the 2003–04 season. He won 6 out of 13 events, including his first US Open title. This made him the #1 IRT player for the first time.
In 2004–05, he continued to be the best. He won 8 of 12 tournaments, including his second US Open. In that US Open final, he barely let his opponent, Cliff Swain, score any points. He won one game 11–0, which was a first for a US Open final. He stayed the #1 player.
He won his third straight US Open title in 2005–06. He beat Swain again in the final and finished the season as the #1 player.
Years of Dominance
In the 2008–09 season, Waselenchuk had an incredible record of 49 wins and only 1 loss. He won his fourth US Open title. He was the #1 IRT player for the fourth time.
The 2009–10 season was even more impressive. Waselenchuk won 9 out of 10 IRT events. He won 102 games and only lost 3. He didn't even play a tie-breaking fifth game in any match. He also won his fifth US Open title without losing a single game. This set a new record for most US Open titles by a man.
In 2010–11, Waselenchuk won 12 IRT events, including his sixth US Open. He played Álvaro Beltrán in that final. Beltran won the first game, which was the first time Waselenchuk had lost a game in a US Open final.
He won nine tournaments in both the 2011–12 and 2012–13 seasons. This included his seventh and eighth US Open titles, which was a record. In 2012–13, he had to stop playing in one final due to a knee injury.
In 2013–14, Waselenchuk won eight of the nine IRT tournaments he played. He won his ninth US Open title, setting a new record for career IRT tournament wins. He was injured during this win and missed two events. When he returned, he won seven tournaments in a row.
In 2014–15, Waselenchuk faced some health issues. He missed several events and was ranked #2 for a while. However, by winning the last event of the season, he managed to finish as the #1 player for the tenth time.
He won 10 out of 14 major events in the 2015–16 season. He finished #1 for the eleventh time. His record was 41 wins and 3 losses, with some losses due to injuries or withdrawals.
In the 2016–17 season, Waselenchuk was undefeated. He won 7 of the 9 events he played and missed the other two. He won all 29 of his matches and all 85 games he played. This was part of an amazing streak of 113 consecutive games won. He secured his twelfth pro title.
He started the 2017–18 season strong, winning the first four events. This included his 13th US Open title in October 2017. In January 2018, he got a knee injury that kept him out for most of the second half of the season. He returned for the final event but couldn't get enough points to keep his #1 ranking. He still won that final event, finishing the season with 24 wins and 2 losses (both losses were due to injuries).
Stepping Back from the Tour
After winning the final tournament of the 2017–18 season, Waselenchuk hinted that he was thinking about retiring. He said he wasn't enjoying playing as much as he used to. He mentioned he might just play in the US Open sometimes. He later explained that his decision was not because of injuries or travel. In an interview in August 2018, he said he was still unsure about playing full-time. He mentioned disagreements with the tour management about how players like him were paid.
Playing for Canada
Waselenchuk has represented Canada eight times in international competitions. These include the World Championships and the Pan American Championships.
- He won a gold medal in singles at the 2002 Pan American Championships.
- He won two silver medals at the Pan American Championships (one in singles, one in doubles).
- He won two bronze medals at the World Championships (one in singles, one in doubles).
Waselenchuk also won the Canadian Championship three years in a row, from 1999 to 2001. In 2001, he also won the doubles title. He did not play in the 2006–07 and 2007–08 IRT seasons.
Outdoor Racquetball
Waselenchuk has also tried playing outdoor racquetball. In October 2020, he teamed up with Ben Croft. They reached the finals of a big tournament in Las Vegas. They lost to Daniel De La Rosa and Alvaro Beltran, who were considered top outdoor players.
In 2023, Waselenchuk played in the Outdoor Nationals with Alvaro Beltran. Many thought they were the best doubles team ever. However, they lost in the quarter-finals to Micah Rich and Jason Geis, who were the reigning champions.
Life Outside the Court
Kane Waselenchuk lives in Austin, Texas. He is sponsored by companies like Onnit, ProKennex, Nike, and Gemini.
See also
- List of racquetball players
