Tennis fans may know him as the winner of last week's Aegon Open Nottingham, but there is much more to know about Denis Istomin. The 28-year-old Uzbek turned pro in 2004 and his win in Nottingham was his first on the ATP World Tour. It was also the first ever ATP World Tour win by a citizen of Uzbekistan and is a big step for tennis in that country.
Istomin has long been supported by the Uzbekistan Tennis Federation (the UTF) and in 2010 was rewarded by them for his performance at that year's US Open. Facing Rafael Nadal in the second round of the tournament, the Uzbek produced a beautiful sliding play in a losing cause, leading the UTF to send him a refrigerator with an inscription that translated to "Best Shot".
That was not, however, his best performance at Flushing Meadows. In 2013, he reached the round of 16 at the tournament, losing to two-time Grand Slam winner Andy Murray. This matched his best performance at a major because in 2012 he reached the fourth round of Wimbledon, losing to Mikhail Youzhny. Shortly after his performance at Wimbledon, Istomin achieved his highest career singles ranking to date, 33rd in the world (he is ranked 62nd as of June 28th, 2015).
Much of the credit for Istomin's success can be given to his mother, Klaudiya Istomin, who introduced him to tennis and who has been his coach for the most of his career. Moreover, it was Klaudiya who convinced her son to return to tennis in 2003 after an extended absence. In 2001, the promising junior tennis player was involved in a horrible car crash in which he badly injured his leg. The result of the injury was three months in the hospital, 80 stitches and two years without picking up a tennis racket. The Nottingham champion credits his mother's belief in him with persuading him to come back to the game.
On a lighter note, Istomin, known to be one of the only players to wear glasses while playing, has quite the sense of humour. In 2012, Milos Raonic adressed the crowd after defending his San Jose Open title by saying he might have to buy a house in the area. The Uzbek whom 6'5" Raonic had just defeated in the final, responded by saying that he too might have to buy a house nearby, but a smaller one than his opponent.
