Shlomo Glickstein

Glickstein claimed his first Israeli national tennis championship in 1977 at the age of 19, beginning a run of nine consecutive titles through 1985.[6]

At Wimbledon in 1980, he reached the second round, where he lost to Björn Borg.[7] The following year, he won the men's singles tennis tournament at the 11th Maccabiah Games, becoming the first Israeli to claim gold in that event.[7] Also in 1981, he reached the Australian Open quarterfinals, his best Grand Slam singles result.[6]

Glickstein competed at the highest level of the men's tour across the late 1970s and 1980s, reaching a peak singles ranking of No. 22 in 1982.[1] His Grand Slam record included one Australian Open quarterfinal, third-round appearances at both Wimbledon and the French Open, and four second-round appearances at the US Open.[3] He defeated world No. 1 Ivan Lendl as well as top-10 players Harold Solomon and Eliot Teltscher during his career.[1]

His most celebrated singles victory came in March 1983 at the Monte Carlo tournament. Ranked No. 42, Glickstein met Lendl — recently elevated to world No. 1 and a clay-court specialist — in the first round and won 6–2, 3–6, 7–5. "The feeling after the win was amazing," he recalled. "This really was the peak of my wins: beating the world No. 1, who was very dominant, at a major stage in tennis."[5]

Two years later, Glickstein delivered another memorable performance at the 1985 US Open. He learned he was scheduled to face defending champion John McEnroe while competing in a German league, with his wife due to give birth to their first child. He made the trip to the United States with no practice time after rain delayed the start of play, then pushed McEnroe to five sets after leading two sets to one. The crowd chanted "Shlomo, Shlomo, Shlomo," and a contemporary New York Times account described the four-hour contest as nearly one of the most spectacular upsets in Open history. Glickstein, ranked No. 175 at the time, called it one of the most exciting and important matches of his career. "One match could have changed my whole career," he said of the loss.[1]

In doubles, Glickstein partnered with Sweden's Hans Simonsson at the 1985 French Open and reached the men's doubles final, falling one win short of the title.[8] He achieved a career-high doubles ranking of No. 28 in 1986.[1]

On the Davis Cup stage, Glickstein was part of the Israeli team that defeated Czechoslovakia away in Israel's first match in the competition's top tier. The team went on to reach the quarterfinals in 1987.[5][9] He retired from professional tennis in 1988.[2]

After retiring from professional play, Glickstein worked for several years at a New Jersey Y camp and later coached players privately.[1] He joined the Israel Tennis Association in 2006 and later held the positions of CEO and professional director.[6] He was appointed CEO on May 4, 2012; at the time, he headed the association's professional department and had served as captain of its Davis Cup and Fed Cup teams.[9] He served as professional director during his final year with the organization, and his employment there ended in December 2018.[1][6]

In 2019, Glickstein participated in the launch of the Jewish Tennis Project in South Florida, playing exhibition matches, coaching local children and greeting supporters. He said he became involved because he viewed the initiative as positive, professional and educational.[2] Reflecting on his relationship with the sport after his playing days, he remarked, "You never forget how to play; it is still in your blood."[2]

Glickstein finished his Davis Cup career with 44 wins and 22 losses overall, including a 31–13 singles record. A 2018 retrospective listed both totals as Israeli records.[4] His contributions also helped Israel reach the Davis Cup quarterfinals for the first time in 1987.[9]

Glickstein's nine consecutive national titles and rise to No. 22 in the world made him a defining figure in Israeli tennis during the 1980s.[6][1] His French Open doubles final and Israeli Davis Cup records extended that prominence across both individual and national-team competition.[8][4] His victory over world No. 1 Ivan Lendl remains a prominent example of an Israeli player defeating the sport's top-ranked competitor on an international stage.[5]

A 2019 JNS report states that Glickstein reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals in 1981, while a 2021 Jerusalem Post account lists his best Wimbledon result as a third-round appearance.[2][3] Sport5 identifies his 1981 quarterfinal as occurring at the Australian Open, supporting the latter Wimbledon record and suggesting that the JNS account conflated the two tournaments.[6]

Accounts of his Israel Tennis Association leadership also conflict. A 2023 Jerusalem Post article says he served as CEO from 2007 through 2012, while a contemporaneous report records his appointment on May 4, 2012.[1][9] The available sources do not explain the discrepancy.