Sudsy Monchik

Last updated
Sudsy Monchik
Personal information
NationalityAmerican
Born (1974-10-12) October 12, 1974 (age 49)
Sport
SportRacquetball
Achievements and titles
Highest world ranking1st 1995-96, 1996-97, 1998-99, 1999-2000, 2000-01
Medal record
Men's Racquetball
Representing USA
World Championships
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2018 San José Doubles
Pan American Games
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1995 Argentina Doubles
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1995 Argentina Team

Sudsy Monchik (born October 12, 1974), is an American racquetball player. As a five-time Pro World Champion, Monchik is one of the top 3 players in the history of the sport. [1]

Contents

Sudsy is the only player on record to have won a National title or higher in five straight decades. 80’s,90’s,00’s,10’s,20’s.

Professional career

Monchik won the US Open, racquetball's most prestigious event, in its first year 1996, and then again three more times, in 1998, 2000, and 2002. He and Kane Waselenchuk are the only two men to win the US Open more than twice. [2]

Monchik's 50+ tournament wins places him fourth in career tournament wins behind only Cliff Swain (70), Kane Waselenchuk (111), and Marty Hogan (60). He compiled those wins in 137 tournament appearances, 13th all time.

Monchik won at least one pro tournament in each of his first 8 seasons competing on the pro tour from 1993-94 to 2000-01. However, after failing to win for a second season, Monchik retired from the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) after the 2003-04 season. He came back in the 2006-07 season, playing 9 of 13 events, but only reached the semi-finals once, and retired again.

Sudsy continues to stay involved as a commentator and advisor to the top organizations and governing bodies in the sport. Sudsy made an amazing return to the professional tour in October 2017 with a quarter final finish at the United Healthcare US OPEN which he previously won 4 times.

In January 2021, Sudsy with his partner Alex Landa won the Men’s Professional Doubles in Atlanta, GA.

International career

Prior to turning pro, Monchik won three consecutive World Junior titles in Boy's 18 and under from 1991–1993, as well as doubles titles in Boys 18 & under with James Mulcock in 1993 and Jason Mannino in 1992. [3]

Monchik represented the USA in the 1995 Pan American Games in Argentina, where he played doubles with Tim Sweeney, winning the gold medal by defeating Canadians Chris Brumwell and Jacques Demers in the final. [4]

Sudsy is the only player in the history of the sport to win every age division at the Junior Nationals in both singles and doubles. All doubles titles with Jason Mannino. In February 2018 Sudsy made another amazing return to racquetball. He and his partner Rocky Carson won the USA National Doubles Championships. At age 43, Sudsy has once again qualified to play on Team USA and compete in the World Championships in August 2018 in South America. In February 2020 Sudsy once again amazed the sport by winning the USA National Doubles with partner Alex Landa and qualified for Team USA for the 2020-2021 year.

Post-playing career

In 2006, Monchik was forced into retirement due to a back injury diagnosed as spondylolisthesis. [5] Monchik was selected for induction into the USA Racquetball Hall of Fame in 2015. [6] Previously, he was selected as an inductee into the 2008-2009 Staten Island Sports Hall of Fame. [7]

In 2013, Monchik began an association with Dunlop Racquetball. [8] Dunlop and Sudsy ended their relationship in 2015 when Dunlop decided to leave the racquetball category. Sudsy also was a commentator for that year's US Open Racquetball Championships, which were broadcast on Tennis Channel. To date, Sudsy has led the youth and senior Ecuador national teams' to the best results in the country's international competition history. Events coached, Pan American Games, Toronto Canada in July 2015, Junior World Championships, Santo Domingo Dominican Republic 2015, Pan American Championships, San Luis Potosí Mexico in 2016, World Championships in Cali Colombia 2016, Junior World Championships 2016 in San Luis Potosí Mexico, San Jose José Costa Rica 2017 Pan Am Championships. Sudsy resigned as Head Coach of Ecuador in July 2017 for personal reasons. Sudsy continues to coach and advise players of all levels worldwide. Some notable players include: Gaby Martinez-GUA, Conrado Moscoso-BOL, Jose Ubilla-CR, Mari Cruz Ortiz-CR, María José Vargas-ARG,Montse Mejia-MX

Sudsy is known to be the most influential ambassador in the sport of racquetball and continues to promote racquetball worldwide.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Racquetball</span> Racquet sport played with a hollow rubber ball in an indoor or outdoor court

Racquetball is a racquet sport and a team sport played with a hollow rubber ball on an indoor or outdoor court. Joseph Sobek invented the modern sport of racquetball in 1950, adding a stringed racquet to paddleball in order to increase velocity and control. Unlike most racquet sports, such as tennis and badminton, there is no net to hit the ball over, and, unlike squash, no tin to hit the ball above. Also, the court's walls, floor, and ceiling are legal playing surfaces, with the exception of court-specific designated hinders being out-of-bounds. Racquetball is played between various players on a team who try to bounce the ball with the racquet onto the ground so it hits the wall, so that an opposing team’s player cannot bounce it back to the wall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Racquetball Tour</span>

The International Racquetball Tour (IRT) is the leading professional racquetball organization for men's competition. It was founded in 1991 and is the successor to previous iterations of the tour by different names. Professional Men's racquetball events have been offered since 1973. Events are played mostly in the USA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rocky Carson</span> American racquetball player

Rocky Carson is an American professional racquetball player. Carson has won a record 5 International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships in Men's Singles, and 2 Pan American Games gold medals in singles. He was the #1 player on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) in 2007-08 & 2017–18. Carson has also played outdoor racquetball, and in 2008, he became the first man to win Men's Singles at the World Outdoor Championship, as well as the indoor IRF World Championship, and US Open. Carson has won 27 International Racquetball Tour (IRT) titles and has been ranked in the top 10 for a record 23 seasons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Huczek</span> American racquetball player

Jack Huczek is a retired American racquetball player. Huczek was a 3 time International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Champion in Men's Singles, and he was the #1 International Racquetball Tour (IRT) player at the end of the 2006–2007 season. Huczek announced his retirement on May 24, 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kane Waselenchuk</span> Canadian racquetball player

Kane Waselenchuk is a professional racquetball player born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Waselenchuk finished the 2018–19 season as the #1 player on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) for a record extending 13th time. Waselenchuk, a left-handed player, has dominated the IRT for the last decade, including a record 134-match unbeaten streak that lasted over three years.

Jason Mannino, born January 28, 1975, is a retired American racquetball player. Mannino was the #1 player at the end of the 2002-2003 International Racquetball Tour (IRT)Archived 2018-11-27 at the Wayback Machine season, and is a two-time winner of the US Open. He was named to the USA Racquetball Hall of Fame in 2020.

Álvaro Beltrán, is a Mexican professional racquetball player. Beltrán is the current International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Champion in Men's Doubles with Daniel De La Rosa, winning the title in 2022 in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. He was the second man to win both Men's Singles and Men's Doubles at the Racquetball World Championships. His six world titles tie him for 3rd most in IRF history. Beltran has been a top 10 player on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) for 18 seasons.

Ben Croft is an American racquetball player. Croft's a former racquetball World Champion, winning men's doubles in 2010 with Mitch Williams. His personal best ranking on the International Racquetball Tour was 3rd at the end of the 2010–11 season. Croft has been in the top 10 every IRT season since he turned pro in 2007. He often dives to keep the ball in play, earning his nickname "Racquetball's Crash Test Dummy".

Jose Rojas is a professional racquetball player. Rojas's highest ranking is #3 on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT), which he was at the end of the 2011–12 season. At the end of the 2014–15 season, Rojas was #6, which was his sixth time in the IRT top 10 at season's end. Rojas has represented the USA several times in international competition, and been a gold medalist three times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniel de la Rosa</span> Mexican racquetball player

Daniel de la Rosa is a Mexican-born American Professional racquetball and Professional pickleball player. De La Rosa is the current International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Champion in both Men's Singles and Mixed Doubles, winning the titles in 2024 in San Antonio, Texas, where he was also part of the US team that won the Men's Team title.

Sebastian Franco is a Colombian racquetball player. Franco is a former International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Champion in Men's Doubles, winning the title in 2014 with Alejandro Herrera. In 2018, Franco became the first South American to win a tournament on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT), when he won the March Madness event in San Antonio. He finished the IRT's Top 10 four straight seasons – from 2015–16 to 2018–19 – with a career high ranking of 6th in 2017–18.

Alejandro Landa is a Mexican-born American retired racquetball player. Landa is a former World Champion in Men's Singles, winning the title in Guatemala City in December 2021 while playing for the USA. Previously, he'd represented Mexico internationally, winning gold in Men's Singles and Doubles at the 2017 Pan American Championships. Landa also won four titles on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samuel Murray (racquetball)</span> Canadian racquetball player

Samuel Murray is a Canadian racquetball player. He is the current International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Champion in Men's Doubles, winning the title with Coby Iwaasa in 2024. Previously, Murray was the 2022 Pan American Champion in Men's Doubles. He has won twice on the International Racquetball Tour, and is only the second Canadian to win on the IRT, and been ranked as high as #3. He is the current Canadian Champion in Men's Singles, winning the title for a sixth time in 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conrrado Moscoso</span> Bolivian racquetball player

Conrrado Moscoso is a Bolivian racquetball player. He is a former International Racquetball Federation (IRF) Men's Singles World Champion, which he won at the 2022 Racquetball World Championships in San Luis Potosí, Mexico. Moscoso is the first Bolivian and first South American man to win an IRF World Championship in singles. Moscoso is also the current two time Pan American Champion in Men's Singles as well as the Pan American Champion in Mixed Doubles. He also won gold in Men's Singles at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, as well as helping Bolivia to successfully defend the Men's Team gold medal they first won at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, which was the first gold medal won by Bolivia in any sport at the Pan American Games. Moscoso has also won multiple times on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT), including the 2022 US Open, and been in the IRT top 10 for four seasons beginning in 2019–20.

Carlos Keller is a Bolivian racquetball player. Keller was on the Bolivian Men's Team that won back to back gold medals at the Pan American Games in 2019 and 2023. Their first gold medal at the 2019 games in Lima, Peru was Bolivia's first racquetball gold medal at the Pan Am Games, and they successfully defended that gold at the 2023 Games in Santiago, Chile. He was also part of the Bolivian men's team that won gold at the 2022 Pan American Racquetball Championships, which was Keller's third gold medal at Pan Am Championships to go with his two Men's Singles titles, won in 2018 and 2019.

Rodrigo Montoya is a Mexican racquetball player. He is the current International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Champion in both the Men's Team competition and Mixed Doubles, winning those titles at the 2022 Championships in San Luis Potosí, Mexico. That was his 4th IRF World Championship, as he won the 2018 Men's Singles in Costa Rica and the 2021 Men's Doubles with Javier Mar in Guatemala City, so Montoya is the first player to win singles, doubles and mixed doubles at Worlds. He is also the current Pan American Games champion in Men's Doubles with Mar, winning the title at the 2023 Pan Am Games in Santiago. Montoya is also the current Pan American Champion in Men's Singles and the Men's Team event, winning those titles at the 2024 Pan American Racquetball Championships in Guatemala City.

Andree Parrilla is a Mexican racquetball player. He has won 3 major singles titles and 6 doubles titles on the International Racquetball Tour, and represented Mexico at international competitions.

Jake Bredenbeck is an American racquetball player. Bredenbeck is a four time USA Racquetball (USAR) National Champion: three times in Men's Singles and once in Men's Doubles. He's also won on the International Racquetball Tour, and represented the USA internationally.

Javier Mar is a Mexican racquetball player. Mar is the current two time Pan American Games champion in Men's Doubles with Rodrigo Montoya, first winning gold at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru and then again at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile. He's a former International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Champion in Men's Doubles with Montoya, winning that title in 2021. Mar has also won doubles titles on the International Racquetball Tour.

Adam Manilla is an American racquetball player. He is the current Pan American Games champion in Mixed Doubles winning the title in Santiago, Chile, with his sister Erika Manilla in 2023. He also helped the USA win the Men's Team title at the 2024 Racquetball World Championships in San Antonio, Texas. A left-handed player, Manilla has also won doubles titles on the International Racquetball Tour.

References

  1. ↑ Sports illustrated "Man Wielding A Dangerous Weapon: Fearless Sudsy Monchik has sliced and diced his way to the top of his sport"
  2. ↑ USA Racquetball - Features, Events, Results | Team USA Archived 2009-09-28 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ↑ "RACQUETBALL - International Racquetball Federation - IRF". Archived from the original on 2010-04-02. Retrieved 2010-04-02.
  4. ↑ "RACQUETBALL - International Racquetball Federation - IRF". Archived from the original on 2008-09-24. Retrieved 2009-07-12.
  5. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-03-24. Retrieved 2011-05-14.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. ↑ Staten Islander Sudsy Monchik selected for induction into Racquetball Hall of Fame | SILive.com
  7. ↑ http://www.head.com/racquetball/news.php?region=us&id=1156 Head Sports Press Release
  8. ↑ "Dunlop Racquetball". Archived from the original on 2013-08-15. Retrieved 2013-09-07.
Sporting positions
Preceded by Number 1 Men's Pro Racquetball Player
1995-1996 to 1996-1997
1998-1999 to 2000-2000		Succeeded by
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.