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Until 2021, the name Aslan Karatsev was completely unknown in professional tennis. Now, he's the sport's BIGGEST breakout star. Just how did a random tennis player with only 3 tour level wins in a 12 year career become such an amazing player in such a short period of time, making grand slam semi-finals, winning ATP titles, and ascending hundreds of ranking spots in just THREE MONTHS. Hard work got him just within reaching distance, but it turns out all Aslan Karatsev needed... was a little bit of luck!
CULT TENNIS brings you player profiles and analyzes some of the best stories in the world of Tennis! Subscribe to see more content like this, and thank you for stopping by!
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Your editing skills are improving faster than Aslan Karatsev.
😇😇😇
CULT TENNIS can you make a video on how you edit your videos
Haha!
He probably outsources editing.
@@msalvs no, he already talked about it in the comments
Now we need a video about Juan Martin Del Potro's unfortunate life. His rise and dealing with injuries and losing two of his family members.
His life is far from tragic
@@matiasnessi7195 not tragic, lemme rephrase that. Sad.
How does that make it a sad life though? Isn't that something most people go through? It's an unfortunate thing that affected his career but that doesn't make his life sad
@@agl4044 yea i think unfortunate is a better word
Nothing unfortunate about a multimillionaire tennis player
I remember playing with Aslan, who was then named Asik, back in israel when i was 11 years old. He was a year younger then me, and at least a feet or two shorter (he's 2 centimeters higher then me now, apparentely he grew quite a lot since..). It was back in Tel Aviv, Israel, and it was the second round if I'm not mistaken. Asik was ranked 2 in Israel and i wasn't seeded, so i already knew it was probably going to be tough. We played short games back then- each of 8 games. I actually started the game pretty well, and earned few mistakes from his side which gave me an early lead. I was pretty naive as i thought i might have a small chance to hang with him after that, but he picked up his pace pretty quickly and the game ended 8-1 before i knew it. I still remember this match so clearly. His incredible talent was evident even at 10 years old; his effortless power, the control over the ball and the way he read the court and the game. A few years later his name disappeared from the draws. I heared some rumors that he and his father decided to move to Russia, and that maybe he even decided to stop playing tennis altogether. He remained a long distant memory of mine until he made it to the semis of the Australian Open (from small distant Tel Aviv to the freaking semis of the Australian Open!!). I only recognized him once the story was published in Israeli news, where one of the papers mentioned that he went by the name of 'Asik' when he was still living in Israel. It still took me few good minutes to believe that. Safe to say I'm one of his biggest fans now. I wonder if he'll ever come visit and maybe play a rematch for old times sake, though i doubt i'll get that first game this time (or any other game for that matter) :)
What an incredible story ! It's crazy who we can cross in life's years sometimes !
Asik is actually a dimunitive name of Aslan, I bet he still named that way!
This is an amazing story you can say you won a point again one of the best tennis players in the world
I had a similar story. In my first tournament at 10 years old a young Petros Tsitsipas (brother of Stefanos, now ranked about 900) completely crushed the competition. He was the only kid I ever saw do a one handed backhand. He was honestly leagues ahead of everyone else, all points ended in 2 or 3 hits even in the final. And during the tournament everyone was talking about how his brother was even better (how was that even possible?) Fast forward 6 years and his brother reaches the Barcelona open final.
You mean, the finals of the Roland Garros!
Drive, work ethic and mental strength. Plus a high tennis IQ. Aslan is the real deal and I hope to see him win majors.
He’s the epitome of everything happens in its own time. I can only think he’s been doing the work for years but only catching up with the mental part of his game now.
It think he has a shot at Wimbledon!
@Cr Sj 😂😂
Lmao he’s not winning any majors, might win a couple of 500’s, but not anything above that
@@bdgregorybd not even a masters? I don’t know
Karatsev is living proof that confidence and self belief can take you far. Just goes to show there’s not much difference in terms of skills in the top 500, but rather the mentality that makes or breaks
You forgot to mention lots of talent.
If you made videos like this about other sports you'd probably have millions of subs, INSANE quality.
yeah people just like to shit on tennis sadly man
The average age of tennis fans is 61.5 years means older viewers are more they only watch on court or on TV they don't use internet that much or don't surf KZhead just like us the young generation...🤔
Hopefully with more younger people covering the sport like myself, cult tennis, the slice, etc. We can build a decent tennis community on KZhead. It’s been growing steady over the last year!
@@MikeKomen It just sucks how Tennis is viewd by teens, when I was in highschool and would say to people i played tennis, they would makes jokes about it, like tennis here it's seen as a joke, I wish it was seen as it is in Europe.
@@DiegoFederer832 I’ll tell you tennis is viewed as a joke most of the time in Europe as well. Maybe it’s because the Netherlands is not particularly good at tennis but when I tell people I play tennis they usually laugh it off. It might be different in France or Spain but that is my experience.
You know it’s a good day whenever Cult Tennis posts a video
I hope Aslan wins the grand slam soon! He's a true revelation of the sport and an inspiration for me and I hope many around the world! I started doing track running because of him earlier this year
he’s a russian machine
don't go too fast, let him get some masters1000 SFs or GS QFs concistently first
He is younger than theim though
@@ambikeyamohapatra2482 lmao by 1 day
@Bijan Mehrpour Aslan not Alan . Not really he is probably going too be a flash in the pan and disappear again . Should stay in the top 100 . Wait till he has too defend points .
My man has got custom intros for each video. The edits make the viewing experience so immersive. Research, narration & presentation of the highest quality. And yes, King Aslan is here to stay! He's a refreshing surprise for sure, given all the next gen hype tennis media creates which hasn't substantiated much. That semis against Novak Djokovic in Belgrade was one of the best clay court matches of this year. Wish him more success on the tour
Here to stay 😂😂
Medvedev once told they have a secret weapon named karatsev in davis cup and boy they were right
I’ve been obsessed with Karatsev this season. As someone who frequently experiences the sting of feeling inadequate or inferior to my peers, it’s been really inspiring to see someone reach such heights despite being at a point in his career many would have once considered “too late” to break out.
At the Australian Karatsev BLEW ME AWAY! That killer forehand!
Oh God, you have to bring out that photo, that point, that pair of glasses, that player named HYEON CHUNG His injuries and downfall just left me in tears😢
I became a fan of him in 2017, just to see him fade away. Hope he makes a comeback soon
Well i hope he bounces back improved like Aslan Is doing, he showed at very young age that he has the potential to being amazing
When I first saw Aslan last summer on Prague challenger I knew he was special. Little did I know he would be that successful shortly after. Great video!
I was really sad when he won against FAA, cause I’m canadian, but I’m happy it gave us the possibility to discover an amazing player!
who's here after he won sydney 2022?
Thank you for devoting a video to Aslan Karatsev. He deserves it. I always root for him because of all his struggles he's had to overcome to make it. Also, love his game, so impressive. I saw an interview with Rublev and Medvedev, and during the ATP cup they thought Karatsev was hitting the ball really well, and told him, "You can do well at the AO." How right they were.
And now he's gone
Fast forward to 2022, and he's a shadow of the player he was
Glad his hard work paid off unlike many players who's stories are never told. His game is really fun to watch.
This channel was recommended and now I feel like recommending it to everyone who is even remotely interested in tennis. The work you are doing is super. Script, narration, graphics; all are A 1. I am addicted. 🙏🏼🙏🏼
Love this channel, its got me back into Tennis. Great retro vibe too.
Beautiful thing, I suggest a Hyeon Chung video. Others suggested it most likely but still.
I was waiting for a video on this guy.
Do one for Marcos Baghdatis please🇨🇾. So much talent and potential! Definitely deserved more!
Amazing Karatsev and Amazing Editing Cult Tennis! Superb! Im a Fan!
Aslan was on my radar when I saw him playing doubles for Russia 2-3 years ago. I recall saying guy with gigantic calves
Top video, Karatsev is a breathe of fresh air to the tennis world, exciting player with an aggressive nature his matches this year have been standout. Interest surrounds his results at upcoming grand slams, good luck to him
I love his aggressive style of play. It is fun to watch.
I've watched all of your videos and your channel is definitely the best tennis channel on YT! Keep up the good work!
Agassi-type efficient stroke play. No excessive frills or twirls, one good quality stroke after another. A dangerously good player who will keep the others on their toes
no-one in the top 100 has "excessive frills or twirls"
@@benparsons4979 Yes, I suppose so. But even among the toppers you get some with tortured service actions, some who bounce the ball twenty times before they serve, some who have to, simply have to, go through a ritual of sleeve pulling, pant hitching, hair patting, glaring, whatever, each time. Economy of action, matter of fact efficiency, you see this more in some than in others. Karatsev gives the impression of efficiency. I hope he is not one of the one-season wonders who show great promise for a short while and then fade away
When I see a cult tennis video I click faster than Asian Karatsev’s ranking can keep up with.
Dude, this video brings time of emotion for me as a coach... It shows how important working trully hard still being the big formula. Together with humbleness of observing every single details on those who are better than you... Karatsev is kinda big deserver... Great video and great commitment with good tennis content. I hope you can reach amazing goals doing this for years!
The name "Aslan" means "Lion", and has turkish origins. When I saw the lion in your video, I was like woooow 😍😍😍 He really is a true LION 🦁 . Amazing video, as always . Thank you for your work , love your channel ❤️
You beat me to the Karatsev video. Ah well, less editing for me to do, I'll go grab the popcorn.
Great video, GO ASLAN. Greatest fan story of 2020, still support him and watch all his games
He has become one of my favs to watch ever since the austrailian open 21
Aslan is a star, glad he got that "big break", i don't think he's gonna let go of the success that he's worked so hard for and eluded him for so long, fellow players better watch out. Brilliant video, it gives you a special appreciation of his accomplishments so far.
@ciclopea2 you thought wrong my friend
@@MidoriBaaka maybe i did lol, but the beauty of tennis is how even the best players are able to bounce back, even after long losing streaks, also the Russians aren't exactly having it easy with the attempts to "own Putin" by some tournaments and governments. Anyway he did have his moment in the sun, i hope he gets to come back to that level at some point.
Anything is possible if you keep believing in your life. You can do it. I love this guy, his story is so inspiring, best of luck in the future.
Just discovered this channel !!! Love it !!!
Aslan is going to be an absolute monster in the grass season. I think the clay is holding back his game right now but I think we're going to see a '19 Berrettini like grass season from Aslan
Lmao very good prediction bro👍👍
@@MidoriBaaka like you knew any better
this is the best game of racket and ball one could acquire and obtain, it is a truly magnificent spectacle of back and forth tennis i am yet to see this year! truly inspirational, well done you
Thank you for doing this excellent intro on Aslan. He is truly a lion of a player and intimidatingly fearless player. Love his story and can’t wait to see him dethrone the top 20 players
Man what a story, I hope he does well in future tournaments. How he must have imagined beating these top guys when he was a 'journeyman'
Been trying to get into Tennis but know nobody outside the big 3, your videos have really helped me learn some of the lore and get familiar with some players. Best channel on YT for tennis content
And now he and Elena Vesnina are going for the gold in mixed doubles at the Olympics....how perfect if he and she would win!
What a video. Now let’s make a feature film out of it. Aslan for President
He's Aslan the Russian Lion, resurrected from Narnia, into a new age of tennis that will forsake his unforgettable past.
Come on .. 60K subscribers ??? With this sort of quality you should be at minimum 500K .. hope you reach that and more soon.
I hope Karatsev sticks around at the top, big fan.
Another great video. Karatsev/Sinner tomorrow at Lyon. Should be a good one.
Seems the stars did align for Aslan! So happy for him. From finding the right coach to the last minute change of flight, hope he rides this wave of good fortune for a long while. We will see how he stacks up against Sinner soon. Both are hitting the balls so hard, so it will be an exciting match to watch.
Olympic finalist in mixed doubles.
This was informative, well narrated and edited. Thanks for this.
Great content man! Loving watching your rise, hopefully it's as fast as Karatsev's!
You're gonna be big yo. I can see this video increasing in views exponentially over the years. Keep at it and I'm sure you'll be huge. There is no content like this for tennis on youtube yet. Seize the day! Great job man, the hard work shows.
He is a solid player with great technique and strong will-power under stress. I really like his style. Wish him a healthy and fruitful career in the next decade.
He is already 28 . You expect him to play still tennis with 38 ?????
@@wolfgangschork3049 You never know. So that is just an estimation of the optimal situation if he stays healthy. I wish him the best.
Like you said, he got far in AO because everyone did not get proper training while he did. But then the situation got better for everybody and Aslan was no longer advantagous, shown in his loss in 2nd round at RG recently. Hope he'll improve his gameplay and reach further in the next tournaments tho.
I don't think the training factor was advantageous for him in Dubai or Belgrade. It's just one loss and it was very tight (he won more points off the first 2 sets despite losing them). These situations happen with all the top players. Sinner lost to Rinderknech, Zverev to Ivashka, etc. Nadal and Djokovic don't lose like this because they play less (and even then you have Ivashka taking set off Nadal, Evans def. Djokovic, etc.) The thing is how he'll rebound after that. For now, he's into semifinals of the RG mixed doubles
It’s honestly insane how amazingly entertaining and enlightening your vids are.
Excellent video about one of the biggest surprises to happen in tennis for a while. His performance on grass is eagerly awaited.
Awesome Job Guys.👌🏻 Big Karatsev fan here. I knew you were going to do a video on him some day but hoped you'd wait till his story reached a conclusion. It's a hot topic right now so yeah it was understandable. Keep up the brilliant work. 🙌🏻
Wow! This is HIGH quality in depth look. Congratulations and thank you!!
Next level video, definitely Aslan I'd a black horse ready to take on the big giants of the game. It will be an interesting future to witness.
Yeah he's done winning now
Very cool review and well produced video. Got my like and subscription. A lot of unknown facts about Karatsev I was so curious about are now uncovered. Thanks!
I know that ATP tournaments are vastly different to what u play at majors and i feared for aslan at french open... See after defeating Novak and Medvedev at ATP tournaments i was so excited for aslan and if he reaches quarter finals any day can be his...but grandslam tournaments destroy ur expectations just like that.. Life goes on and looking forward to see aslan in top 10 this year❤️❤️❤️
Great video 👍👍👍👍👍 I've been following Aslan since AO and so happy that he is not showing any signs of backing down. Wish him to go all the way!!
Wow, he's been through a lot. Glad he's found the success that he always wanted. Wishing him more success ahead. Meanwhile, your videos are already amazing and the making quality of them is getting better and better. God bless 👍👏🙏
Aslan just won at Moscow, doing big things
Aslan Karatsev is black swan in professional tennis
This video is so well made is not even funny. Nice job mate keep up this amazing job ur doing! 👍🏻👏🏻💪🏻
Definitely anticipated this video. Love this channel.
Love this channel. Karatsev has definitely got my following this year. He’s an intriguing player I would hope would win a slam before Medvedev or Rublev
Man, your videos are incredible. Thanks for the effort!
In the 2nd round of the US Open against Jordan Thompson, he lost the first 2 sets, won the 3rd set, and the 4th set went to a tiebreak where he had to defend 2 match points but he ended up winning the set. He then won the final set 6-1.
Love watching Karatsev play. Big game, steady mind.
YES YES YES I HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR THIS FOR SO LONG
Wow man! This vid was my first one I watched from your channel and it definitely garnered a subscribe! Keep up the great work!
Thank you !! 😄
I first saw Karatsev playing a challenger tournament and what stood out was the size of his calves, then his quiet demeanor and the power off both wings. He was sorta nonchalant in a cool not disrespectful way. I knew he had serious skills except for a lack of big serve. Never thought he got so far so fast. Good for him and wish him a master 1000 or slam..
Lmaoooo
These videos are amazing. Keep them coming
Your videos have such a high quality, it's just a matter of time until your channel blows up (hopefully!)
He did alot of smart work and had a bit of luck. Well edited video
Doge
@@subhashis_M Doge likes tennis
No luck can take you that far.
@@1438Thejames Smart work is the keyword
Really impressed with your videos! Keep it up
I just found this channel, never subbed so quickly to a channel in my life lmao. Insane quality, thank you from all tennis fans
Aged like a fine milk left in the sun
HAHA facts. Haven't seen him get far in anything lately...
Aged like a fine milk left in the sun
What are you talking about? He made the semi-finals of the madrid open after defeating medevedev
He quickly had gone from an unknown journeyman to the most dangerous gatekeeper with serious chances to become a contender soon
Yes I was sooooooo waiting for this
same. cult tennis has such high production value and his videos are always fire
I'm so exited to see u upload a new video fr
I like his game. I was impressed with him at the AO
Wow, this video is really well done. Great narration and editing! It's very inspiring to see Aslan's refusal to give up pay off. Gotta have an iron will on the tennis court to be successful!
great material mate! thanks
You have done a tremendous job on this Vid so much research and editing👌 💯
Dude I was just searching for this like a week ago. Really surprised how jumped out of nowhere, but thank you for making this. Your videos are tennis gold. I suggest everyone to watch your videos. It's like a monthly episode for me. I wait for them to come out every month.
Thank you 😊 more soon!!
His story is very interesting. Now everyone who watched tennis knows his name. 👏👏
This is a seriously good channel. Keep it up man 🙏🏾💪🏾
The quality of your videos is unbelievable...no doubt, by far, the best tennis content on KZhead.
Love your videos man; Good Work! You should post videos more often!!
This channel is great because I like the idea of tennis, but I rarely watch it and know nothing about it.
Cult Tennis is the best tennis KZhead channel out there
This video is not aging well……😬
this is the truest commet ive ever heard. he is rly struggling
Not my favorite video on the channel but easily the most well produced. This channel just keeps getting better and better. And I don't even like tennis lol