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Shlomo Glickstein (1958)

Shlomo Glickstein was an Israeli tennis player. In November 1982, he was ranked twenty-second in the world, his highest ever. He concluded the 1981 professional circuit with a ranking of thirty-three in the world, compared to his ranking of 57 at the end of 1980, and 153 at the end of 1979. In 1981, he was thirty-fifth on the list of money-winners among the pros, earning US dollar 93,112.

Glickstein is one of the greatest tennis players Israel has ever produced. He has defeated many of the top stars, including Australian Peter McNamara, ranked eighth in the world. Glickstein’s best tournament win to date was the South Orange, New Jersey, US dollar 75,000 Grand Prix, held in August 1981. Glickstein’s 1982 world ranking was thirty-three. Ranked among the world's best in the early 1980s, Glickstein was considered by many to be the greatest tennis player Israel has ever produced, although others consider Amos Mansdorf worthy of the top honors.

Glickstein began playing tennis at the age of 16, he had decided to give up basketball and soccer to focus solely on tennis. His talent was recognized by Israeli national coach Ron Steele by the time Shlomo was 12. In 1980, Glickstein gained international fame when he defeated Raul Ramirez, who was ranked No. 35 in the world, in the first-round at Wimbledon. Israeli journalists compared Shlomo to the biblical Samson, who grew up in Ashkelon, the same town as Glickstein. After losing to eventual champion Bjorn Borg in the second game, Borg said after their match that Shlomo won the Wimbledon Plate, the consolation tournament. Glickstein finished the year ranked Number 57 in the world and the following year, he was ranked Number 33 and in 1982, he was ranked Number 22, the highest of his career.

Glickstein joined the professional tour in May 1979, shortly after his release from the army. That year he won his third straight Israeli national championship. Then came a turning point in his career. In January 1980, Glickstein won the Australian Hard Courts Championship in Hobart, a victory which brought him US dollar 8,750 and enabled him to advance a full 200 places in the ATP rankings within three months. His second major success was also won below the equator as he climbed to the quarterfinals of the Sigma Open in Johannesburg, South Africa.

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