Yonatan Levit has joined the Centre of Excellence until the end of July. We touch base with the Israeli player to get to know more about him.
Israel is not short of talent. Misha Zilberman and Ksenia Polikarpova are currently leading the way for their country in men’s and women’s singles respectively. Zilberman, who also often plays with his mother in mixed doubles — one of the most special pairs in our sport, that’s for sure — is still going strong at 32, but there’s also young talent emerging in the country.
If there is one to watch out for in the men’s singles category, that is Yonatan Levit. Hailing from the town of Binyamina in Israel, the 23-year-old player has just changed his native Israel for Denmark in his move to the Centre of Excellence, where he will be staying until the 30th of July. Levit’s ambition has driven him to look for a new adventure that might open his doors to more opportunities.
-I chose to come here to the CoE because, in my opinion, this place gives you everything you need for your success and to achieve your goals as a pro badminton player, Levit said.
Always striving for more
Levit, currently ranking 87 in Europe in the men’s singles category, has been working hard taking part in some of Europe’s key tournaments in the last year. The player kicked off the year by attending the Polish Open, and last year he also took on the challenge and participated in the Portuguese International Championships and the Iceland International, where he reached the quarterfinals. Despite the uncertainty caused by COVID-19, Levit has some events to look forward to.
-At the moment, my next tournaments are Austria, Lithuania, and Bulgaria. I hope they will not be cancelled due to the pandemic and we can be back to business.
The young player will not let the pandemic stop him and is looking to earn more experience and perhaps some more wins on the way too. Levit has some titles on his back, and in only one month back in October 2019, he climbed 50 positions in the world ranking. When asked about his biggest achievement of his career so far, he has fond memories of his first major win, a success that still today inspires him to push for more.
-It’s a tough question, but I think I will go for my first major title in Israel, when I was the National U11 Champion. It shows me that I can accomplish something big, explained Levit.
An important figure in Israeli badminton
Levit has certainly accomplished something big, being the second-best player in Israel just behind the experienced Misha Zilberman. Just in October 2019, Levit escalated 50 positions in the world ranking. It is a great accomplishment that will definitely inspire many young badminton players in Israel, a country where the sport is not amongst the most popular as Levit points out.
-I started playing when I was eight. Badminton in Israel isn’t popular at all, my parents came to Israel from Russia and they exposed me to this wonderful sport.
Just like fellow Israeli men’s singles player Misha Zilberman, who was born in Moscow, Levit’s family also moved from Russia to Israel. Who knows if these similarities could lead to drawing a parallel in their careers. Although Levit now seems mainly focused on his singles career, he has also played in men’s and mixed doubles, earning some good results in both.
Some major feats include winning the men’s doubles gold at the 2016 Hatzor International with Ariel Shainski, and the mixed doubles champion title at the 2017 Hatzor International with Yulia Vasilyeva. Doubles is therefore a category that has shaped him as a player, and so when asked about who his dream international doubles partner would be, he does not hesitate to pick a good Moldovan friend of his.
-No doubt I would choose Cristian Savin. We are really good friends on and off court, so it will be special to mix that on court, Levis stated.
Finding inspiration everywhere
It is a given that any sportsperson is inspired by the people closer to them — be it family, friends, or fellow players. In Levit’s case, he has found a person to look up to in the world of basketball. American basketball player Kobe Bryant broke records in his sport and also inspired millions, basketball fans and beyond.
-My biggest inspiration is Kobe Bryant. It’s the way he approaches the game, not only in the aspect of a pro-athlete but also as a human, Levit explained.
Just like the late Bryant who died just last year at the age of 41 after a glittering career once said, “Everything negative - pressure, challenges - is all an opportunity for me to rise”, and it demonstrates how through these words he is still to this day encouraging others such as Levit to persevere. In fact, the Israeli player’s hunger for more and interests go beyond sports. He takes pleasure in burying his head in books.
-I’m also studying Computer Science at university, so I don’t have much free time outside of the badminton court. But if there is, I like reading psychology and philosophy books, Levit said.
Different fields to sports on the surface, but all the knowledge from psychology, philosophy, and maybe even computer science can surely be applied to how one plays badminton. In Levit’s case, his technique and success has taken him to be a professional player, but what would he have pursued in his professional career if he did not dedicate his life to badminton?
-I had an amazing band and my role was on piano/guitar. Music takes a huge part in my life, and music can take me to a wonderful place, just like badminton.