Turkish tennis professional Altug Celikbilek at an ITF tournament in Portugal in February 2024. Bild: IMAGO / Nuno Pires Veloso
The health condition of Altug Celikbilek, Davis Cup player for Turkey and reigning association champion in Hamburg/Schleswig-Holstein, is still serious.
At the end of November, Altug Celikbilek, 28 years old and currently number 441 in the men’s world rankings, had to give up at the start of the semi-final match against his compatriot Yankı Erel at the ITF tournament in Monastir, Tunisia – due to a severe headache. He could barely stand and was immediately taken to a nearby hospital, where he was diagnosed with a cerebral hemorrhage. Celikbilek had to undergo emergency surgery immediately.
Altug Celikbilek: two emergency operations in a few days
The news was a shock for the entire tennis scene – including in northern Germany. Because Celikbilek has been playing for the Schleswig-Holstein club TC an der Schirnau in Kaltenkirchen for a long time. In 2024 he came in first place for the men’s team in the Northern League and won three singles. In June 2024 he won the men’s title at the Hamburg/Schleswig-Holstein Association Championships.
Celikbilek is in a relationship with the Belgian professional player Eliessa Vanlangendonck, who also plays league games for the TC an der Schirnau. At the beginning of the week, the Belgian published a long Instagram post in which she recounted the dramatic events in Monastir and commented on her partner’s current health. Your update sounds worrying.
Altug Celikbilek: “Waiting for you until you wake up again”
“I remember you telling us how much you were suffering, but I never thought in my life that it could come to this… Three days later you were flown to Istanbul, where you had to undergo another operation and you have had a tumor successfully removed. Luckily, you have always been in good hands from the beginning, with the best doctors… I believe that you will soon wake up and be the crazy, funny, annoying, active, caring and loving child that you have always been. It breaks my heart not to be able to be with you and hold your hand, lie in your arms and comfort you. But I know that day will come. We are all patiently waiting for you.”
Safak Müderrisgil, President of the Turkish Tennis Association, has since confirmed that a “lump on a vein” was discovered and that it was a “benign tumor”. “The operation was successful, now we are waiting for him to wake up,” she said in an interview with the Turkish broadcaster sportstv.
The Turkish Davis Cup team at the away game in Austria in September 2024: Altug Celikbilek, Cem Ilkel, Yanki Erel, Cengiz Aksu, Koray Kirci and captain Alaattin Bora Gerceker (from left).Image: IMAGO / GEPA pictures
Celikbilek was already ranked 154th in the world rankings (2022). He has been part of the Turkish Davis Cup team since 2016, which qualified for World Group I in 2024 after a win against New Zealand. But in September the Turks lost to Austria. On the ATP Challenger Tour, Celikbilek won twice in Porto (2021/2022) and in Pozoblanco/Spain (2021).
