_(30063301198).jpg) Karlović at the2018 Wimbledon Championships | |
| Country (sports) |  Croatia |
|---|---|
| Residence | Grand Bahama,The Bahamas |
| Born | (1979-02-28)28 February 1979 (age 46) |
| Height | 2.11 m (6 ft 11 in)[1] |
| Turned pro | 2000 |
| Retired | 2024 (last match 2021)[2] |
| Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) |
| Prize money | US$10,160,232[3] |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 371–346 |
| 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 |
| 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 (Croatian pronunciation:[ǐːʋokâːrloʋitɕ];[4][5] born 28 February 1979) is a Croatian former professionaltennis player. His height of 211 cm (6 ft 11 in) makes him the joint-tallest ranked tennis player in history (along withReilly Opelka).[6] He won eightATP Tour singles titles between 2007 and 2016. He was aserve-and-volleyer[7][8] and officially held the record for thefastest serve recorded in professional tennis, measured at 251 km/h (156 mph),[9] before being officially surpassed byJohn Isner in 2016.[10][11] He was considered one of the bestservers on tour,[12] and held the record for careeraces from 1991 onwards with 13,728 (not including Davis Cup) before the record was broken by Isner on July 1 2022.[13][14] This makes him one of only five players since 1991 to surpass 10,000 aces.[15] Hisheight enabled him to serve with high speed and unique trajectory.[16][17][18]
Karlović played his first junior match in April 1995 at the age of 16 at a grade 3 tournament inCroatia. He played only eight tournament throughout his junior career (four singles and four doubles). In singles, he defeated a 15-year-oldMarat Safin at the1995 Junior Davis Cup. In doubles, he was known for partnering future world No. 3Ivan Ljubičić on numerous occasions.
Karlović ended his junior career with no ranking in both singles or doubles. He had an overall win–loss record of 3–5 in singles and 5–3 in doubles.[19]
Although not turning pro until 2000 at the age of 21, Karlović played his first ITF futures event in June 1998 and made two finals in August 1998 and September 1999, losing both. He played his first Challenger event in December 1999.
Karlović debuted for theCroatian Davis Cup team in 2000 againstIreland, where he won thedead rubber. Karlović appeared in a starting line-up for the first time in 2002 againstArgentina in Buenos Aires, but he lost toJuan Ignacio Chela in the second rubber and toGastón Gaudio in the fifth and decisive rubber. He has posted a 4–2 career record (2–2 in singles) in three ties since 2000.
Karlović caused a major upset atWimbledon when he beat defending championLleyton Hewitt in his first match in aGrand Slam tournament. As of 2015, Karlović remains the only player in Open tennis history, and only the second player afterCharlie Pasarell, to defeat the defending Wimbledon men's singles champion in the first round.[20] He finished the 2003 year in the top 100 and as the Croatian No. 3, behindIvan Ljubičić andMario Ančić. He also averaged an ATP-best of 17.6 aces per match. He continued his success during the 2004 season, winning atCalabasas, California. He reached the round of sixteen in several tournaments, including Wimbledon.
In 2005, Karlović reached his first ATP final at theQueen's Club Championships, defeatingLleyton Hewitt andThomas Johansson along the way. In the final he lost toAndy Roddick. There were no breaks of serve in the match. Afterwards, Roddick said Karlović's serve is "probably the biggest weapon in tennis... you don't really get a feel for it unless you are on the other side. It was not fun at times."[21]
At the2005 US Open, Karlović lost to eventual runner-upAndre Agassi in three tiebreakers. On 19 October 2005, he finally defeated Roddick in theMadrid Masters event. In November 2005, he was a member of theCroatian team that won theDavis Cup. He did not play in the finals, but played in a semifinal dead rubber.[22]
On 26 February 2006, he won his first ATP Doubles Tournament with South AfricanChris Haggard, beatingJames Blake andMardy Fish in the2006 Regions Morgan Keegan Championships and the Cellular South Cup, Memphis, USA. On 27 February, he reached a career high of No. 47 in doubles and on 8 May he also reached the top 50 in singles.
Karlović andRoger Federer were the only players who won titles on three differentsurfaces during the2007 season.
At age 28, he won his first ATP singles title at the 2007U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships inHouston, Texas, defeatingMariano Zabaleta in the final. On 29 May 2007 at theFrench Open, he defeated eighth seedJames Blake in the first round. In the next round he lost toJonas Björkman in five sets.
On 23 June 2007, he won his second title of the year and his career atNottingham, the last grass tune-up before Wimbledon, defeating seventh seedStanislas Wawrinka,Gilles Simon,Juan Martín del Potro, second seedDmitry Tursunov (a match played on indoor hard courts due to torrential rain), andArnaud Clément. Despite a first-round loss at Wimbledon, he rose to No. 40, making his top-40 debut.
On 14 October 2007, he won his third title of the year by taking theStockholm Open, defeating former Australian Open championThomas Johansson in three sets in the final.[23] Earlier, Karlović had yet again met FrenchmanArnaud Clément in his quarterfinal, the pair having met five times that year alone, including in the final of Nottingham, where Karlović secured his second career title. Karlović edged past his rival after saving a match point in the final-set tiebreak, and then went on to defeat German No. 1Tommy Haas in the semifinals.
At the2008 Australian Open, Karlović entered the men's doubles tournament with 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)John Isner, making them the tallest doubles pair in history. Despite losing in the first round, Karlović said "It was a lot of fun. We will win together next time."[24]
Karlović defeatedworld No. 1Roger Federer in the third round of theCincinnati Masters on 31 July 2008. This was his first victory in seven matches against Federer. It was this loss which caused Federer to lose his No. 1 ranking toRafael Nadal. Karlović then advanced to the semifinals where he lost to eventual championAndy Murray. This was his career-best result in atop-level tournament.
At the US Open, Karlović fell toSam Querrey in straight sets.
At the 2008Madrid Masters, he stunned World No. 3Novak Djokovic in two tie-breaker sets serving 20 aces to seal victory in 1 hour and 42 minutes. However, he lost in the quarterfinals to FrenchmanGilles Simon, being dominated in the tiebreaks.
AtWimbledon 2009, he powered through the first two rounds, beatingLukáš Lacko andSteve Darcis. In the next two rounds he needed only one break of serve in the third set to defeat both ninth seedJo-Wilfried Tsonga and seventh seedFernando Verdasco, advancing to faceRoger Federer in his first quarterfinal at a Grand Slam. The match was a relatively one-sided affair, with Federer winning in straight sets and going on to win the tournament.
In the2009 Davis Cup semifinals, Karlović was defeated byRadek Štěpánek, despite hitting a record-breaking 78 aces (the record has since been taken byJohn Isner). The match was one of the longest in the history of the Davis Cup, lasting 5 hours, 59 minutes. There were only three breaks of serve in this match.[25]
Karlović also won his first five-set match in the Davis Cup quarterfinals against the United States, where he came from behind to beatJames Blake from two sets down.
Karlović met Štěpánek again at the2010 Australian Open, in another five-set marathon. This time, the 13-seeded Štěpánek lost. In all five-set matches Karlović has played, this was only his second win. He went on to reach a career-best fourth round there, after beatingJulien Benneteau (in four sets), andIvan Ljubičić (also in four sets). After giving a solid performance, he was ousted by the second seed and defending championRafael Nadal in that round.
As the second seed at the2010 Delray Beach International Tennis Championships, he made a runner-up effort, losing to first-time ATP-finalistErnests Gulbis.
In the2010 Davis Cup, where Croatia had a first-round clash with Ecuador, Karlović defeatedNicolás Lapentti in five sets. This was his third five-set match win, following his five-set win over Štěpánek at the Australian Open. His five-set record then stood at 3–12.
Karlović was forced to withdraw from 2010 Wimbledon due to a foot injury.[26]
_-_Ivo_Karlovic_(9645487491).jpg)
February 2011 saw Karlović temporarily exit from the top 200. In 2012, Karlović beatDudi Sela in the first round ofWimbledon in straight sets, but was knocked out in the second round byAndy Murray.[27] Karlović controversially accused Wimbledon of being biased, as he was pulled up for approximately 11-foot faults.[28]
In 2013, Karlović suffered from viral meningitis, which was not immediately diagnosed. He was unconscious for some time, and when he woke up, he did not know his name or what year it was.[10] After a lengthy recovery, he was able to play again in Newport in July, where he made it to the quarterfinals, before being defeated byJohn Isner in one of their typical ace-fests.[10]
In Bogota, also in July, he won his fifth ATP title, beatingAlejandro Falla in the final. He did not qualify for the Rogers Cup or Cincinnati Masters.
At the US Open, he made it through qualifying and into the second round by defeatingJames Blake in the last singles match of his career in five sets. In the second round, he metStanislas Wawrinka, to whom he lost in straight sets.
In February, Karlović reached the final of the U.S. National Indoor Tennis Championships, losing toKei Nishikori. In May, he reached the final of the Düsseldorf Open, losing toPhilipp Kohlschreiber. In July, he reached the final of theHall of Fame Open, losing an epic match toLleyton Hewitt. Another solid week of tennis saw him make back-to-back finals, this time at the Claro Open Colombia, losing toBernard Tomic in a tight three-setter. He avenged that loss the following month at the Rogers Cup in another tight three-setter.
Karlović won his sixth title, defeatingDonald Young at the Delray Beach Open. He also won the2015 Topshelf Open in doubles withŁukasz Kubot. He reached his second Hall of Fame Open final, which he lost toRajeev Ram in three sets.
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Karlović suffered a knee injury and missed two months of play.
He reached the final of the Hall of Fame Open for the third time againstGilles Müller, which he won in three tiebreaks. At the age of 37 and 5 months, he became the oldest player to win an ATP title since 1979. He reached anATP World Tour 500 series tournament at theWashington Open (tennis), which he lost toGaël Monfils.[29]
He then won theLos Cabos Open, beatingFeliciano López in straight sets and returned to the top 20 again at 37 years and 6 months.
Karlović began the Australian Open by defeatingHoracio Zeballos in a 5-hour, 15-minute match, the second-longest match at the tournament in the Open Era (behind theDjokovic–Nadal final in 2012). He set an Australian Open record, hitting 75 aces.[30]
Aged 38, Karlović set up the oldest ATP Tour tournament final in 41 years againstGilles Muller, aged 34, at the2017 Ricoh Open.[31] He lost in straight sets.
At theAustralian Open, Karlović progressed to the Round of 32, losing toAndreas Seppi, 7–9 in the fifth set.
At theEcuador Open in Quito, Karlović made it to the Round of 16, losing to 18 years oldCorentin Moutet in a third-set tie-break.
Next, he reached the quarterfinals atNew York Open losing to second seedSam Querrey.
After a string of tight first round losses atDelray Beach Open,Indian Wells Masters andMiami Open (tennis), theU.S. Men's Clay Court Championships in Houston saw Karlović reach the semifinals with wins over JapaneseTaro Daniel,Denis Kudla and 4th seedNick Kyrgios. In the semifinals, he lost to eventual runner-upTennys Sandgren in two close tie-break sets.
AtWimbledon, he reached the second round. At the US Open, he was defeated in the second round of qualifying.
In October, he became the oldest champion of anATP Challenger tournament, winning theCalgary Challenger at 39 years and seven months.[32]
At theMaharashtra Open Karlović beat teenagerFélix Auger-Aliassime in first round. The age gap of 21 years and 6 months between the two players was the largest on the ATP Tour since 2011. Karlović and Auger-Aliassime were the oldest and the youngest players in the Top 200 ATP rankings at the beginning of the2019 season.[33] He went on to make the final, at 39 years and 10 months becoming the oldest finalist on the ATP Tour since 43-year-oldKen Rosewall won the 1977 Hong Kong championship.[34]
With his victory overMatthew Ebden at theIndian Wells Masters, he became the first player aged over 40 to win an ATP Tour match sinceJimmy Connors in 1995 in Halle. In addition, Karlović was the oldest to win a match in ATP Masters 1000 history.[35] He subsequently defeated 11th seed, compatriotBorna Coric to become the oldest man to win two back-to-back matches at the Masters 1000-level.[36][37]
At the2021 Hall of Fame Open in Newport, Karlovic won against 24-year-oldBernabé Zapata Miralles. This was only his second match win for 2021, the first being at the2021 Delray Beach Open againstPablo Andújar. At 42 years old, Karlovic was the oldest player to compete in an ATP Tour match sinceThomas Muster, 44, in 2011 in Vienna (l. to Dominic Thiem in R1).[38]
In July,Los Cabos Open organisers circulated news of Karlović's retirement at the2021 US Open.[39] Later, he said he may change his mind and continue playing in 2022 if he got good results.[40]Karlović entered the2021 US Open qualifying draw for possibly his last tournament. He won all three of his qualifying matches to qualify for theUS Open, making him the second-oldest Grand Slam qualifier in the Open Era afterMal Anderson qualified for the1977 Australian Open.[41] It was his 17th Grand Slam draw participation at the US Open and the 63rdoverall Grand Slam main draw appearance for the 42-year-old.[42] He lost in the first round to 5th seedAndrey Rublev in straight sets.
He officially retired in February 2024 after two-and-a-half years of inactivity.[43][44][45] He had been listed as a retired player by theInternational Tennis Integrity Agency since 15 June 2023.[46]
Karlović has been absent from some previousCroatianDavis Cup campaigns owing to his dispute with theCroatian Tennis Association.[47] He further strained his relations with the Croatian Tennis Association and theCroatian Olympic Committee by his last-minute withdrawal from theOlympic tournament in Beijing, communicated via anSMS message.[48][49]
He played against Japan in the first round in 2012 in Japan with wins overKei Nishikori andGo Soeda in singles and in doubles winning with Dodig.
In 2016, he accepted an invitation to theDavis Cup final against Argentina. He played the second match, losing againstJuan Martín del Potro, and had to play the last deciding match, again losing againstFederico Delbonis.
| W | F | SF | QF | #R | RR | Q# | P# | DNQ | A | Z# | PO | G | S | B | NMS | NTI | P | NH |
| Tournament | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | SR | W–L | Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Slam tournaments | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Australian Open | A | Q3 | Q2 | A | 2R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 3R | 2R | 4R | 1R | 3R | 1R | 1R | 2R | 1R | 3R | 3R | 2R | 2R | A | 0 / 17 | 16–17 | 48% |
| French Open | A | A | Q1 | Q2 | 1R | 1R | 2R | 2R | 1R | 1R | A | 1R | 1R | A | 3R | 1R | 3R | 2R | 1R | 2R | Q2 | A | 0 / 14 | 8–14 | 36% |
| Wimbledon | Q3 | Q2 | Q1 | 3R | 4R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | QF | A | 2R | 2R | A | 1R | 4R | 2R | 1R | 2R | 2R | NH | Q1 | 0 / 15 | 17–15 | 53% |
| US Open | Q1 | Q2 | Q1 | 3R | 1R | 2R | 1R | 1R | 3R | 1R | A | 3R | 1R | 2R | 2R | 2R | 4R | 1R | Q2 | 1R | 1R | 1R | 0 / 17 | 13–17 | 43% |
| Win–loss | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 4–2 | 4–4 | 1–4 | 1–4 | 1–4 | 4–4 | 5–4 | 3–1 | 3–4 | 3–4 | 1–2 | 3–4 | 5–4 | 6–4 | 3–4 | 3–3 | 3–4 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 0 / 63 | 54–63 | 46% |
| National representation | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Summer Olympics | A | not held | 3R | not held | A | not held | A | not held | A | not held | A | 0 / 1 | 2–1 | 67% | |||||||||||
| Davis Cup | Z2 | A | QF | A | 1R | W | A | A | PO | SF | QF | 1R | QF | A | A | A | F | A | A | A | A | A | 1 / 8 | 9–10 | 47% |
| ATP Tour Masters 1000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Indian Wells Open | A | A | A | A | 1R | 2R | 2R | Q1 | 3R | 3R | 2R | QF | 1R | 2R | 2R | 2R | A | 2R | 1R | 4R | NH | Q2 | 0 / 14 | 13–14 | 48% |
| Miami Open | A | A | A | A | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 2R | 2R | 3R | 1R | 2R | Q1 | 2R | 2R | A | 3R | 1R | 1R | NH | Q2 | 0 / 14 | 4–14 | 22% |
| Monte-Carlo Masters | A | A | A | A | A | 1R | 1R | A | 2R | 2R | A | A | A | A | 1R | A | 1R | A | A | A | NH | A | 0 / 6 | 2–6 | 25% |
| Madrid Open | not held | A | A | 1R | QF | A | 3R | QF | 2R | 2R | 1R | 1R | A | A | 1R | 1R | 2R | A | A | NH | A | 0 / 11 | 10–11 | 48% | |
| Italian Open | A | A | A | A | 3R | Q1 | A | Q2 | 3R | 2R | A | 1R | Q2 | A | 2R | A | 1R | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 6 | 6–6 | 50% |
| Canadian Open | A | A | Q1 | A | 1R | 1R | A | 2R | A | 1R | A | 3R | A | Q2 | 2R | 3R | 3R | A | A | Q2 | NH | A | 0 / 8 | 8–8 | 50% |
| Cincinnati Open | A | A | A | A | 3R | Q1 | A | 1R | SF | 2R | A | 2R | A | Q2 | 1R | 3R | 1R | 3R | Q2 | 1R | A | A | 0 / 10 | 12–10 | 55% |
| Shanghai Masters | not Masters series | 1R | A | A | A | A | 3R | 2R | 1R | 1R | A | A | not held | 0 / 5 | 3–5 | 37% | |||||||||
| Paris Masters | A | Q1 | A | Q1 | Q1 | A | A | 2R | 1R | 2R | A | A | A | Q1 | 1R | 1R | 2R | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 6 | 3–6 | 33% |
| German Open | A | A | A | A | A | 1R | A | A | 3R | not Masters Series | 0 / 2 | 2–2 | 50% | ||||||||||||
| Win–loss | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 4–6 | 4–6 | 1–3 | 4–5 | 12–8 | 6–9 | 2–3 | 7–6 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 6–8 | 5–7 | 3–7 | 4–5 | 0–2 | 3–3 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0 / 82 | 63–82 | 43% |
| Career statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | Career | |||
| Tournaments | 0 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 25 | 22 | 18 | 24 | 26 | 22 | 9 | 20 | 16 | 14 | 28 | 26 | 24 | 20 | 16 | 15 | 4 | 4 | 343 | ||
| Titles | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | ||
| Finals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 19 | ||
| Hard W–L | 0–0 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 5–4 | 6–12 | 9–11 | 8–11 | 29–16 | 19–15 | 10–15 | 15–7 | 12–14 | 14–11 | 13–11 | 24–18 | 26–18 | 20–15 | 8–12 | 4–7 | 9–11 | 1–4 | 1–3 | 4 / 217 | 234–217 | 52% |
| Clay W–L | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 5–8 | 0–6 | 7–5 | 5–2 | 5–8 | 6–6 | 2–2 | 3–4 | 0–4 | 0–1 | 7–6 | 1–3 | 4–6 | 3–4 | 5–6 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 1 / 71 | 55–76 | 42% |
| Grass W–L | 1–0 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 3–2 | 5–3 | 7–3 | 0–2 | 8–2 | 7–2 | 7–2 | 0–0 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 5–4 | 11–4 | 8–3 | 4–4 | 2–3 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 3 / 47 | 75–44 | 63% |
| Carpet W–L | 1–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 2–3 | 1–3 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 0–1 | discontinued | 0 / 8 | 7–9 | 44% | ||||||||||||
| Overall win–loss | 2–0 | 0–1 | 1–4 | 9–7 | 18–26 | 17–23 | 17–19 | 43–21 | 31–26 | 23–23 | 17–9 | 16–21 | 16–17 | 15–13 | 36–28 | 38–25 | 32–24 | 15–20 | 11–16 | 11–15 | 1–4 | 2–4 | 8 / 343 | 371–346 | 52% |
| Win % | 100% | 0% | 20% | 56% | 41% | 43% | 47% | 67% | 54% | 50% | 61% | 43% | 48% | 54% | 56% | 60% | 57% | 43% | 41% | 42% | 20% | 33% | 51.74% | ||
| Year-end ranking | 286 | 193 | 201 | 73 | 61 | 70 | 98 | 22 | 26 | 37 | 73 | 56 | 100 | 78 | 27 | 23 | 20 | 80 | 100 | 95 | 147 | 273 | $10,160,232 | ||
| Tournament | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | SR | W–L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Slam tournaments | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Australian Open | 3R | 1R | QF | 1R | 1R | 2R | SF | 1R | 1R | A | 1R | 1R | A | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 11 | 10–11 |
| French Open | 2R | 1R | 1R | A | A | 1R | A | 2R | A | A | A | A | 1R | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 6 | 2–6 |
| Wimbledon | 1R | 3R | A | A | A | A | A | 2R | 2R | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | NH | A | 0 / 4 | 4–4 |
| US Open | 2R | A | 1R | 2R | 1R | A | A | 2R | 1R | A | 1R | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 7 | 3–7 |
| Win–loss | 4–4 | 2–3 | 3–3 | 1–2 | 0–2 | 1–2 | 4–1 | 3–4 | 1–3 | 0–0 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0 / 28 | 19–28 |
| Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | Career | ||
| Tournaments | 12 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 111 | |
| Titles / Finals | 0 / 0 | 0 / 0 | 1 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 0 | 1 / 1 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 0 | 2 / 3 | |
| Overall win–loss | 11–12 | 7–9 | 16–8 | 7–9 | 2–11 | 5–8 | 7–5 | 6–11 | 10–11 | 5–4 | 1–6 | 3–2 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 4–3 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 91–109 | |
| Year-end ranking | 87 | 109 | 66 | 153 | 375 | 176 | 82 | 162 | 140 | 248 | 812 | 277 | – | – | 270 | – | – | – | 45.5% | |
Karlović plays a very offensive and powerful playing style. His best and most powerful weapon is his serve. His height of 2.11 meters makes his serve very powerful and it is regarded as one of if not the best in tennis history. He has hit 13,762 aces during his career, the second most in all of ATP history.
Besides his huge serve, Karlović also has a powerful forehand which he usually hits deep and fast into his opponent's baseline. On his backhand side, he usually slices the ball deep into his opponent's baseline and rarely uses theone-handed backhand drive that he possesses.
Karlović is also known as aserve-and-volleyer. His serve usually causes players to return the ball lightly, at which point he will come forward on the ball and volley it. His skill at the net is one of the key traits of his playing style.
On 18 September 2009, Karlović hit 78 aces (77 aces on 1st serve) in aDavis Cup match againstRadek Štěpánek, breaking his previous record of 51 (againstDaniele Bracciali in the2005 Wimbledon Championships) and 55 (againstLleyton Hewitt in the2009 French Open). Only once in his ATP career has he failed to hit an ace during a match, which was in the2008 Monte Carlo Masters against FrenchmanGaël Monfils.[50] His record of aces in a single match was broken by bothJohn Isner andNicolas Mahut inthe longest match in tennis history at the first round of the2010 Wimbledon Championships, where Isner hit 113 aces and Mahut hit 103.
In 2007, Karlović became the fourth player since 1991 to serve 1,000 aces in a season. He finished the year with 1,318 aces, second behindGoran Ivanišević, who hit 1,477 in 1996.[51] In 2015, he became the third player since 1991 (afterGoran Ivanišević andAndy Roddick) to serve 9,000 career aces.,[52] and the second to notch 10,000 aces.
Karlović's fastest official serve is 156 miles per hour (251 km/h), which he hit during his five-set loss in the2011 Davis Cup first round third rubber doubles match withIvan Dodig againstChristopher Kas andPhilipp Petzschner of Germany. That was ATP's official record at the time.[53][54] His previous record was 153 miles per hour (246 km/h) in a victory overArnaud Clément in the final of Nottingham in 2007. This is the third-fastest first serve on record, afterAndy Roddick's 155 miles per hour (249 km/h).[55][56] He also hit a 144 miles per hour (232 km/h) second serve againstPaul Capdeville in the quarterfinals of the2007 Legg Mason Tennis Classic on 3 August, which is the fastest second serve on record.[55][57][58][59]
Karlovic's record of a 156 mph serve was broken by Samuel Groth at the 2012 ATP Challenger in Busan, but was still the record for ATP events until John Isner broke the record in 2016.[10]
On 19 June 2015 Karlović broke the record for most aces in a three-set ATP Tour match during the quarterfinal of2015 Gerry Weber Open. He served 45 aces in a 7–5, 6–7(8–10), 6–3 win overTomáš Berdych.[60]
Karlović held the record for the most aces since 1991 after surpassingGoran Ivanišević in October 2015. As of September 2021, he has struck 13,728 aces in 694 matches (not including Davis Cup).[61][62] This record was surpassed by John Isner in June 2022, who hit his 13,729th ace in a third round match at the2022 Wimbledon Championships.[63]
During Karlović's childhood, his mother Gordana worked in agriculture, while his father Vlado was ameteorologist.
Karlović married his wife Alsi on 29 March 2005. Their first child, Jada Valentina, was born in September 2011.[64]
One of his favorite activities is playing basketball.
Karlović is known for his humorous Twitter account.
Karlović wears European size 51 shoes.[65]
Karlovic currently endorses theHead Graphene Radical Pro, and wearsMizuno clothing.
Early on in his career, Karlović usedHead Prestige racquets, until switching to theHead Flexpoint Instinct in 2005. He continued to use the Instinct until 2012, except for a brief switch to theBabolat AeroPro Drive Cortex in 2009.
In 2013, after a period of struggling to find a replacement for the Flexpoint Instinct he enjoyed, he finally switched to theHead YouTek IG Radical Pro, and proceeded to endorse the new Graphene Radical in 2014.
Karlović has previously worn apparel byDiadora, My OCK,Adidas,Nike,Li-Ning,Sergio Tacchini andMizuno, as well as his own brand 6'10".
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| Result | W–L | Date | Tournament | Tier | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 0–1 | Jun 2005 | Queen's Club Championships, United Kingdom | International | Grass |  Andy Roddick | 6–7(7–9), 6–7(4–7) |
| Loss | 0–2 | Feb 2007 | Pacific Coast Championships, United States | International | Hard |  Andy Murray | 7–6(7–3), 4–6, 6–7(2–7) |
| Win | 1–2 | Apr 2007 | US Clay Court Championships, United States | International | Clay |  Mariano Zabaleta | 6–4, 6–1 |
| Win | 2–2 | Jun 2007 | Nottingham Open, United Kingdom | International | Grass |  Arnaud Clément | 3–6, 6–4, 6–4 |
| Win | 3–2 | Oct 2007 | Stockholm Open, Sweden | International | Hard (i) |  Thomas Johansson | 6–3, 3–6, 6–1 |
| Win | 4–2 | Jun 2008 | Nottingham Open, United Kingdom(2) | International | Grass[a] |  Fernando Verdasco | 7–5, 6–7(4–7), 7–6(10–8) |
| Loss | 4–3 | Feb 2010 | Delray Beach Open, United States | 250 Series | Hard |  Ernests Gulbis | 2–6, 3–6 |
| Win | 5–3 | Jul 2013 | Colombia Open, Colombia | 250 Series | Hard |  Alejandro Falla | 6–3, 7–6(7–4) |
| Loss | 5–4 | Feb 2014 | US National Indoor Championships, United States | 250 Series | Hard (i) |  Kei Nishikori | 4–6, 6–7(0–7) |
| Loss | 5–5 | May 2014 | Düsseldorf Open, Germany | 250 Series | Clay |  Philipp Kohlschreiber | 2–6, 6–7(4–7) |
| Loss | 5–6 | Jul 2014 | Hall of Fame Open, United States | 250 Series | Grass |  Lleyton Hewitt | 3–6, 7–6(7–4), 6–7(3–7) |
| Loss | 5–7 | Jul 2014 | Colombia Open, Colombia | 250 Series | Hard | Bernard Tomic | 6–7(5–7), 6–3, 6–7(4–7) |
| Win | 6–7 | Feb 2015 | Delray Beach Open, United States | 250 Series | Hard | Donald Young | 6–3, 6–3 |
| Loss | 6–8 | Jul 2015 | Hall of Fame Open, United States | 250 Series | Grass | Rajeev Ram | 6–7(5–7), 7–5, 6–7(2–7) |
| Win | 7–8 | Jul 2016 | Hall of Fame Open, United States | 250 Series | Grass |  Gilles Müller | 6–7(2–7), 7–6(7–5), 7–6(14–12) |
| Loss | 7–9 | Jul 2016 | Washington Open, United States | 500 Series | Hard | Gaël Monfils | 7–5, 6–7(6–8), 4–6 |
| Win | 8–9 | Aug 2016 | Los Cabos Open, Mexico | 250 Series | Hard | Feliciano López | 7–6(7–5), 6–2 |
| Loss | 8–10 | Jun 2017 | Rosmalen Championships, Netherlands | 250 Series | Grass | Gilles Müller | 6–7(5–7), 6–7(4–7) |
| Loss | 8–11 | Jan 2019 | Maharashtra Open, India | 250 Series | Hard |  Kevin Anderson | 6–7(4–7), 7–6(7–2), 6–7(5–7) |
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| Result | W–L | Date | Tournament | Tier | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1–0 | Feb 2006 | US National Indoor Championships, United States | Intl. Gold | Hard (i) | Chris Haggard | James BlakeMardy Fish | 0–6, 7–5, [10–5] |
| Loss | 1–1 | Jul 2007 | Indianapolis Championships, United States | International | Hard |  Teymuraz Gabashvili | Juan Martín del PotroTravis Parrott | 6–3, 2–6, [6–10] |
| Win | 2–1 | Jun 2015 | Rosmalen Championships, Netherlands | 250 Series | Grass |  Łukasz Kubot | Pierre-Hugues HerbertNicolas Mahut | 6–2, 7–6(11–9) |
| Result | W–L | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1–0 | Dec 2001 | Urbana, United States | Hard (i) | Robby Ginepri | 6–4, 7–6(7–5) |
| Loss | 1–1 | Jul 2002 | Andorra, Andorra | Hard |  Dick Norman | 4–6, 4–6 |
| Win | 2–1 | Aug 2003 | Binghamton, United States | Hard | Nicolas Thomann | 7–6(8–6), 6–7(6–8), 7–6(7–4) |
| Win | 3–1 | Aug 2003 | Bronx, United States | Hard | Dmitry Tursunov | 6–3, 6–3 |
| Win | 4–1 | Apr 2004 | Calabasas, United States | Hard | Alex Bogomolov Jr. | 7–6(7–3), 6–3 |
| Loss | 4–2 | Jun 2005 | Surbiton, United Kingdom | Grass |  Daniele Bracciali | 7–6(7–0), 6–7(5–7), 6–7(4–7) |
| Loss | 4–3 | Jun 2007 | Surbiton, United Kingdom | Grass | Jo-Wilfried Tsonga | 3–6, 6–7(4–7) |
| Win | 5–3 | Oct 2011 | Sacramento, United States | Hard | James Blake | 6–4, 3–6, 6–4 |
| Win | 6–3 | Oct 2011 | Tiburon, United States | Hard | Sam Querrey | 6–7(2–7), 6–1, 6–4 |
| Loss | 6–4 | Oct 2018 | Monterrey, Mexico | Hard | David Ferrer | 3–6, 4–6 |
| Win | 7–4 | Oct 2018 | Calgary, Canada | Hard (i) | Jordan Thompson | 7–6(7–3), 6–3 |
| Loss | 7–5 | Nov 2019 | Houston, United States | Hard | Marcos Giron | 5–7, 7–6(7–5), 6–7(9–11) |
| Result | W–L | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 0–1 | Dec 1999 | Jaipur, India | Grass |  Yuri Schukin |  Tomáš AnzariSatoshi Iwabuchi | 6–7(6–8), 6–4, 6–7(5–7) |
| Loss | 0–2 | Jun 2001 | Salvador, Brazil | Hard |  Alejandro Hernández |  Adriano FerreiraDaniel Melo | 6–3, 3–6, 6–7(3–7) |
| Loss | 0–3 | Dec 2002 | Yokohama, Japan | Carpet (i) |  Mark Nielsen |  Lu Yen-hsun Danai Udomchoke | 6–7(5–7), 3–6 |
| Result | W–L | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 0–1 | Aug 1998 | Croatia F6,Umag | Clay | Željko Krajan | 3–6, 6–3, 3–6 |
| Loss | 0–2 | Sep 1999 | Germany F10,Oberhaching | Clay | Radim Žitko | 1–6, 2–6 |
| Loss | 0–3 | Feb 2000 | Great Britain F1,Leeds | Carpet (i) |  Helge Koll-Frafjord | 6–7(4–7), 6–7(2–7) |
| Loss | 0–4 | Feb 2000 | Croatia F2,Zagreb | Clay | Mario Ančić | 6–7(14–16), 4–6 |
| Win | 1–4 | Mar 2000 | France F6,Douai | Clay (i) | Olivier Rochus | 7–6(7–5), 7–6(7–5) |
| Win | 2–4 | Sep 2000 | France F18,Mulhouse | Hard (i) | Antony Dupuis | 6–7(4–7), 7–6(7–5), 6–4 |
| Win | 3–4 | May 2001 | Austria F3,Kramsach | Clay | Marc Fornell-Mestres | 6–3, 6–3 |
| Win | 4–4 | Mar 2002 | USA F6,San Antonio | Hard | Marc Silva | 7–6(7–3), 6–4 |
| Result | W–L | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 0–1 | Jun 1998 | Croatia F1,Veli Lošinj | Clay | Igor Šarić | Saša HiršzonŽeljko Krajan | 6–7, 3–6 |
| Win | 1–1 | Aug 1998 | Croatia F4,Umag | Clay | Lovro Zovko |  Jaka Bozic Marko Por | 7–5, 7–6 |
| Loss | 1–2 | Aug 1998 | Croatia F5,Umag | Clay | Lovro Zovko | Simon AspelinHelge Koll-Frafjord | 5–7, 4–6 |
| Loss | 1–3 | May 1999 | Italy F7,Verona | Clay | Goran Orešić | Massimo ArdinghiFilippo Messori | 4–6, 6–7 |
| Loss | 1–4 | Jul 1999 | Slovenia F2,Portorož | Clay | Goran Orešić | Leoš FriedlPetr Kovačka | 5–7, 4–6 |
| Loss | 1–5 | Feb 2000 | Great Britain F2,Chigwell | Carpet (i) | Maxime Boyé | James DavidsonFredrik Loven | 6–7(1–7), 6–7(5–7) |
| Win | 2–5 | Feb 2000 | Croatia F2,Zagreb | Clay |  Clemens Trimmel |  Tapio NurminenJanne Ojala | 6–4, 6–4 |
| Win | 3–5 | Mar 2000 | France F7,Poitiers | Hard (i) | Maxime Boyé | Robert LindstedtFredrik Lovén | 5–7, 6–3, 7–6(7–1) |
| Win | 4–5 | Mar 2001 | France F6,Poitiers | Carpet (i) | Lovro Zovko |  Yves Allegro Arnaud Fontaine | 7–6(7–3), 6–7(5–7), 6–2 |
| Loss | 4–6 | May 2001 | Germany F2,Esslingen | Clay | Paul Baccanello | Franz StauderAlexander Waske | 5–7, 6–1, 4–6 |
| Result | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partners | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | Dec 2005 | Davis Cup, Bratislava, Slovakia | Hard (i) | Ivan LjubičićMario AnčićGoran Ivanišević |  Dominik HrbatýKarol KučeraMichal Mertiňák | 3–2 |
| Loss | Nov 2016 | Davis Cup, Zagreb, Croatia | Hard (i) | Marin ČilićIvan DodigFranko Škugor | Juan Martín del PotroFederico DelbonisLeonardo MayerGuido Pella | 2–3 |
| Result | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partners | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | May 2006 | World Team Cup, Düsseldorf, Germany | Clay | Ivan LjubičićMario Ančić | Nicolas KieferAlexander WaskeMichael Kohlmann | 2–1 |
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indicates the outcome of the Davis Cup match followed bythe score, date, place of event,the zonal classification and its phase, andthe court surface.| Result | Rubber | Match type (partner if any) | Opponent nation | Opponent player(s) | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5–0;14–16 July 2000; Fitzwilliam L.T.C.Dublin, Ireland; Group II Europe/Africa Second round; Carpet surface | |||||
| Victory | III | Doubles (withGoran Ivanišević) |  Ireland | Scott Barron /Owen Casey | 6–7(5–7), 6–2, 6–1, 6–1 |
| Victory | IV | Singles (dead rubber) | Conor Niland | 4–6, 6–3, 6–4 | |
| 5–0;6–8 October 2000; Mladost Trsat Hall,Rijeka, Croatia; Group II Europe/Africa Third round; Carpet surface | |||||
| Victory | III | Doubles (withGoran Ivanišević) |  Ivory Coast | Ilou Lonfo /Claude N'Goran | 7–6(8–6), 6–4, 6–7(5–7), 4–6, 6–0 |
| Victory | V | Singles (dead rubber) | Claude N'Goran | 6–4, 6–1 | |
| 2–3;5–7 April 2002; Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis Club, Buenos Aires, Argentina; World Group Quarterfinals; Clay surface | |||||
| Defeat | II | Singles | Argentina | Juan Ignacio Chela | 7–5, 4–6, 4–6, 2–6 |
| Defeat | V | Singles | Gastón Gaudio | 4–6, 4–6, 2–6 | |
| 1–4;6–8 February 2004; Les Arenes,Metz, France; World Group First round; Clay surface | |||||
| Defeat | II | Doubles (withMario Ančić) | France | Nicolas Escudé /Michaël Llodra | 1–6, 6–7(5–7), 3–6 |
| Defeat | IV | Singles (dead rubber) | Nicolas Escudé | 6–7(5–7), 2–6 | |
| 3–2;23–25 September 2005; Dvorana SC Gripe,Split, Croatia; World Group Semifinals; Carpet surface | |||||
| Defeat | V | Singles (dead rubber) | Russia | Dmitry Tursunov | 4–6, 4–6 |
| 3–2;11–13 April 2008; Sportska Dvorana,Dubrovnik, Croatia; Group I Europe/Africa Second round; Hard surface | |||||
| Defeat | I | Singles | Italy | Simone Bolelli | 6–7(7–9), 3–6, 4–6 |
| 4–1;19–21 September 2008; Sportski Centar Visnjik,Zadar, Croatia; World Group play-offs; Hard surface | |||||
| Victory | II | Singles | Brazil | Thiago Alves | 7–6(7–5), 7–6(7–3), 7–5 |
| Defeat | III | Doubles (withLovro Zovko) | Marcelo Melo /André Sá | 7–6(7–3), 2–6, 5–7, 7–6(7–5), 3–6 | |
| Victory | IV | Singles | Thomaz Bellucci | 7–6(7–5), 6–4, 6–7(6–8), 7–6(7–4) | |
| 5–0;6–8 March 2009; Visenamjenska Sportska Dvorana "Zatika",Poreč, Croatia; World Group First round; Hard surface | |||||
| Victory | V | Singles (dead rubber) |  Chile | Hans Podlipnik Castillo | 6–3, 7–6(7–4) |
| 3–2;10–12 July 2009; Visenamjenska Sportska Dvorana "Zatika",Poreč, Croatia; World Group Quarterfinals; Clay surface | |||||
| Victory | I | Singles | United States | James Blake | 6–7(5–7), 4–6, 6–3, 7–6(7–3), 7–5 |
| 1–4;18–20 September 2009; Visenamjenska Sportska Dvorana "Zatika",Poreč, Croatia; World Group Semifinals; Clay surface | |||||
| Defeat | I | Singles | Czech Republic | Radek Štěpánek | 7–6(7–5), 6–7(5–7), 6–7(6–8), 7–6(7–2), 14–16 |
| 5–0;5–7 March 2010; Gradska Sportska Dvorana Varazdin,Varaždin, Croatia; World Group First round; Hard surface | |||||
| Victory | I | Singles |  Ecuador | Nicolás Lapentti | 6–2, 5–7, 6–7(2–7), 6–3, 6–4 |
| Victory | III | Doubles (withMarin Čilić) | Giovanni Lapentti /Nicolás Lapentti | 7–6(7–3), 6–3, 7–5 | |
| 2–3;4–6 March 2011; Dom Sportova,Zagreb, Croatia; World Group First round; Hard surface | |||||
| Defeat | III | Doubles (withIvan Dodig) | Germany | Christopher Kas /Philipp Petzschner | 3–6, 6–3, 7–5, 3–6, 4–6 |
| Defeat | V | Singles | Philipp Petzschner | 4–6, 6–7(3–7), 6–7(5–7) | |
| 3–2;10–12 February 2012; Bourbon Beans Dome,Kobe, Japan; World Group First round; Hard surface | |||||
| Victory | II | Singles | Japan | Kei Nishikori | 6–4, 6–4, 6–3 |
| Victory | III | Doubles (withIvan Dodig) | Tatsuma Ito /Yūichi Sugita | 6–4, 6–4, 3–6, 6–3 | |
| Victory | V | Singles | Go Soeda | 7–6(7–4), 6–1, 6–4 | |
| 1–4;6–8 April 2012; Parque Roca,Buenos Aires, Argentina; World Group Quarterfinals; Clay surface | |||||
| Defeat | II | Singles | Argentina | Juan Martín del Potro | 2–6, 6–7(7–9), 1–6 |
| Defeat | III | Doubles (withMarin Čilić) | David Nalbandian /Eduardo Schwank | 6–3, 6–7(6–8), 3–6, 7–6(8–6), 6–8 | |
| 2–3;25–27 November 2016; Arena Zagreb,Zagreb, Croatia; World Group Final; Hard surface | |||||
| Defeat | II | Singles | Argentina | Juan Martín del Potro | 4–6, 7–6(8–6), 3–6, 5–7 |
| Defeat | V | Singles | Federico Delbonis | 3–6, 4–6, 2–6 | |
| Season | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wins | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
| # | Player | Rank | Event | Surface | Rd | Score | IK Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | |||||||
| 1. | Lleyton Hewitt | 2 | Wimbledon, London, United Kingdom | Grass | 1R | 1–6, 7–6(7–5), 6–3, 6–4 | 203 |
| 2005 | |||||||
| 2. | Lleyton Hewitt | 2 | Queen's Club, London, United Kingdom | Grass | QF | 7–6(7–4), 6–3 | 77 |
| 3. | Andy Roddick | 3 | Madrid, Spain | Hard (i) | 2R | 3–6, 7–6(9–7), 7–6(7–3) | 86 |
| 2006 | |||||||
| 4. | Nikolay Davydenko | 6 | Barcelona, Spain | Clay | 2R | 6–7(7–9), 7–5, 6–4 | 56 |
| 2007 | |||||||
| 5. | James Blake | 6 | San Jose, United States | Hard (i) | 2R | 6–7(4–7), 7–6(13–11), 6–4 | 103 |
| 6. | Tommy Haas | 10 | Houston, United States | Clay | QF | 7–6(9–7), 6–4 | 108 |
| 7. | James Blake | 8 | French Open, Paris, France | Clay | 1R | 4–6, 6–4, 7–5, 7–5 | 85 |
| 8. | James Blake | 7 | Basel, Switzerland | Hard (i) | 2R | 4–6, 7–6(7–4), 6–4 | 25 |
| 2008 | |||||||
| 9. | Roger Federer | 1 | Cincinnati, United States | Hard | 3R | 7–6(8–6), 4–6, 7–6(7–5) | 22 |
| 10. |  Novak Djokovic | 3 | Madrid, Spain | Hard (i) | 3R | 7–6(7–4), 7–6(7–5) | 21 |
| 2009 | |||||||
| 11. | Jo-Wilfried Tsonga | 9 | Wimbledon, London, United Kingdom | Grass | 3R | 7–6(7–5), 6–7(5–7), 7–5, 7–6(7–5) | 36 |
| 12. | Fernando Verdasco | 8 | Wimbledon, London, United Kingdom | Grass | 4R | 7–6(7–5), 6–7(4–7), 6–3, 7–6(11–9) | 36 |
| 2011 | |||||||
| 13. | David Ferrer | 6 | Indian Wells, United States | Hard | 2R | 7–6(7–3), 6–3 | 239 |
| 2013 | |||||||
| 14. | Tomáš Berdych | 7 | Basel, Switzerland | Hard (i) | 1R | 4–6, 7–6(7–4), 7–6(7–2) | 83 |
| 2014 | |||||||
| 15. | Tomáš Berdych | 7 | Doha, Qatar | Hard | 1R | 7–6(9–7), 7–6(7–4) | 78 |
| 16. | Marin Čilić | 9 | Shanghai, China | Hard | 1R | 7–5, 2–6, 7–6(7–2) | 31 |
| 2015 | |||||||
| 17. | Novak Djokovic | 1 | Doha, Qatar | Hard | QF | 6–7(2–7), 7–6(8–6), 6–4 | 27 |
| 18. | Tomáš Berdych | 6 | Halle, Germany | Grass | QF | 7–5, 6–7(8–10), 6–3 | 27 |
| 19. |  Milos Raonic | 10 | Montreal, Canada | Hard | 2R | 7–6(7–1), 7–6(7–1) | 23 |
| 20. | Stan Wawrinka | 4 | Basel, Switzerland | Hard (i) | 1R | 3–6, 7–6(7–2), 6–4 | 23 |
| 2017 | |||||||
| 21. | Marin Čilić | 7 | Rosmalen, Netherlands | Grass | SF | 7–6(7–4), 5–7, 7–6(7–2) | 24 |
Ívo
Kȃrlović
Media related toIvo Karlović at Wikimedia Commons
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| Preceded by | Fastest serve world record holder 6 March 2011 – 12 May 2012 | Succeeded by |