Probably, Aslan Karatsev will remain the biggest surprise of the last few years on the ATP tour. The Russian tennis player, 5 years ago – on April 21, 2021 – beat the world number 1, Novak Djokovic, in front of the Serbian’s home crowd in Belgrade. But what has happened to Aslan Karatsev?
THE LATE RISE
Born in 1993, Aslan Karatsev was considered a great prospect at the junior level. However, since turning professional in 2010, the Russian never really found his groove—at least, not until the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic. Coach Dmitry Tursunov encouraged Karatsev to keep believing in himself, trying to put together a special schedule for his return to the professional circuit. From that moment on, something clicked for the 27-year-old Russian: first he started picking up momentum in the Challenger tournaments, winning in Prague and Ostrava, and then came the surprise in Australia.
At the Australian Open, he wins 3 qualifying rounds, then makes it all the way to the semifinals. Along the way, he beats Schwartzman (who was world number 9 at the time), Auger Aliassime, and Dimitrov. In the semifinals, Novak Djokovic ends the Russian’s dreams of glory, but Karatsev’s journey doesn’t stop there! Starting 2021 ranked 112 in the ATP, Aslan Karatsev reaches his career-high ranking of world number 14, thanks to winning the Dubai 500 and the Moscow 250. At the end of the year, he is, of course, named the surprise of 2021, an award that usually goes to up-and-coming players, not nearly thirty-year-old tennis pros.
LIKE A METEOR
After reaching the peak of his career—so far—at the beginning of 2022 with the win at the Sydney 250 over Andy Murray, Karatsev’s career enters a standstill. Long periods of losses alternate with other achievements, like when he reached the semifinals of the Madrid Masters 1000 in 2023, after beating world No. 3 Daniil Medvedev. A serious injury at the start of 2024 forces Karatsev to undergo surgery on his right knee and start over. Last year, he won a Challenger again after dropping out of the top 400, only to get hurt badly at the same point.
Aslan Karatsev has been out since August 6, 2025, the day he lost to Federico Cinà at the Grodzisk Mazowiecki Challenger. The decision to take a break and undergo surgery again is another rough setback for a player who is already heading toward the twilight of his career. He tried to make a comeback this year in Sharm El Sheik, but after an initial win, he had to retire in the next round. Having reached his peak late by circuit standards, Karatsev disappeared from the scene within a couple of years just as suddenly as he had appeared, and that’s what makes his story so fascinating and unique.
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