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Scott arguably had the most difficult path to the title of all this year's contenders, starting with a 1st round matchup against last year's 5.0 semifinalist, Ricky Hernandez. Scott overcame match points and ultimately won the match in a nailbiting 3rd set tiebreak thriller. The next two opponents were no easier, but Scott was able to defeat #5 seed Warren San Luis, and perennial contender Nishant Bonda in straght sets. On a roll, Scott was ready for the ultimate test in the semifinals - 5 time 5.0 Champion Zach Miller. Scott won the first set 7-5, and the two were locked in a seesaw 2nd set when Zach pulled up with an injury in the tiebreak and had to withdraw at 7-5, 6-6. Scott then finished the course by prevailing over 4 time 5.0 playoff finalist Kevin Kamenjarin, 7-6,6-3. A hard earned, well-deserved championship for a player who has overcome much in the way of injuries over the past several years.
Scott's Story: I have played tennis since I was around 5 or 6. I Played in high school qualifying for the IL state tourney 3 years, finishing my senior in the top 24. After high school I stopped playing competitively until 2013 (10 years). I heard about Gladiator from an old tennis coach that knew Leagie Coordinator Steve Hess. I eventually worked my way into the 5.0 division in 2014 but ran into some injuries shortly thereafter which left me playing off and on for about 4 years. After elbow surgery and some other minor injuries, it is 2019 and I am now playing at the highest level I have ever played which was capped off at the year end 5.0 tournament. I like Gladiator because you are able to play many different styles of players and your tennis network can grow rapidly. I now have a group of 10-12 players I play with at my indoor club because of players I met in Gladiator. Signing up was the best decision I have made in a long time.
"If you want to be the best, you have to beat the best". David brought these words to life by defeating some of the best players in the draw who were legit contenders to win it all. It started with a straight set win over #2 seed Gerardo Alvarez in the first round. In the Round of 16, David prevailed over 2017 semifinaliist Mac Mclin in a close 3 setter. After a walkover win in the quarters, David fought past David Kulhanek in the semis in a marathon long 3 set match to set up a final encounter with Justin Hoehn. Justin had reached the 4.75 finals in 2017, and had also defeated David earlier in the year in 3 sets. This time, it was David who prevailed in 3 sets: 2-6,6-2,6-3. A happy finish to David's 3rd year in the league.
David's Story: I started playing tennis when I was 9 years old in a tennis club in my home country. I loved tennis and I had excellent coaches. I learned good basic skills and after couple of years started playing in official tournaments.
My first tennis racket was a wooden " Vostok Vostok" and we were lucky if we got two tennis balls for practice..
When I was 14 I had a dramatic tennis game in one of the national junior championships and despite having several match points - lost it. I hung my racket on the wall and did not touch it for more than 30 years.
3 years ago, I accidentally discovered Gladiator Tennis while searching the internet and decided to give it a try. It was an excellent opportunity for me to prove to myself that I was not a failure.
Arjun knows now what it feels like to be the last man standing out of a draw of 64 players at the 4.5 level. It involved him prevailing over 6 opponents, including the #1 seed, Denis Kozlov, in the Round of 16. Arjun's closest match was a set win over Connor Mullane in the semifinals, followed by a win over Arunas Karalius in the finals.
Arjun's Story: I first started playing tennis in 4th grade and loved it from the start. I played high-school tennis and USTA juniors in Western Michigan and took a brief hiatus during my college years. After moving to Chicago, I wanted to get back into tennis to regain some of this competition and get some exercise. I was encouraged by a hitting partner to try out the Gladiator tennis league and have never looked back. It has provided a friendly and engaging environment to play tennis, with great competitors and honest players. It has also been eye-opening to me to explore the broader Chicagoland Area and to meet a lot of new tennis friends. I have always been impressed with the organization and competitiveness of this league and hope to play in the future seasons as well!
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Abigail is now the reigning 4.0 champion for the indoor league and the outdoor league. Not bad for her 2nd year playing Gladiator! Her path to the title included a quarterfinal win over Nicole Grunwald, a semifinal win over her indoor finals opponent, Lara Phillips, and the finals win over #1 seed Sylwia Rakauskas. Abigail will be a key player in our new 4.5 level, starting in 2019.
Abigail's Story: It’s been 15 years since playing lacrosse at Notre Dame and for years, I bounced around health clubs, sports leagues and other activities to try and fill the competitive sports gap created after leaving ND. But when I moved out of the city to the ‘burbs, I couldn’t find any soccer, basketball, or lacrosse (sports I played in hs) leagues for women. Nothin! So 2 years ago, I decided to give tennis a try and fell in love with the sport. Started with NITTL, but wanted more time on the court and heard about Gladiator from a teammate. I’ve loved the experience, the flexibility (with a full-time job and three young girls, that’s been huge!) and getting to know other players in the league - it’s a great group and a great sport that I know I’ll continue to play for as long as I can.
John had an 18-3 record over the course of the 3 outdoor seasons of 2019, and earned the #1 seed for the playoffs. But the only thing easy about becoming champion was his 1st round bye. John had to win four 3 setters out of his 5 matches, and he was even on the brink of elimination against Round of 16 opponent, Amit Sharma, who had 2 match points against him. John managed to outplay and outlast every opponent to survive the draw and stand as the best 4.0 gladiator of 2019.
John's Story: I started playing tennis when I was in Junior High School and would go down to the local park (Boston area) and play with some crafty old timers! I continued to play in high school, but gave it up after I graduated. In the summer of 2014 I played tennis for the first time in almost 25 years thanks to the Gladiator tennis league! After suffering an injury, I did not pick up the racquet again until the Summer of 2018 thanks to Steve Hess emailing me and asking if I was interested in playing again. Gladiator tennis has allowed me to get some much needed exercise and meet many new friends! I have enjoyed playing competitive tennis again and my kids find it hard to believe I can still play any sport ????. It has been great to get back into the game and I plan on playing as long as I can stay healthy. I truly appreciate having such a great tennis league here in the Chicagoland area!
She came into the league this year, she saw the competition, and she ultimately conquered. After winning the first 2 rounds in straight sets, Katelyn defeated #1 seed Angie Meyer in the semifinals, setting up what proved to be an epic showdown with longtime gladiator Andrea Lichtenheld. Katelyn prevailed 6-1,1-6,10-8.
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Lindsey entered the tournament as the #1 seed,and rolled through the first 3 rounds in straight sets. In the final, she defeated #2 seed Kris Schnettler.
Lindsey's Story: I started playing tennis as a freshman in high school. I was initially drawn to the sport because of my competitive nature and I needed to find something to do during my downtime in between other sports seasons. After high school, I played a little club tennis at Indiana University, but unfortunately after college I was consumed with my career as a physician assistant and couldn't find a league that was flexible enough for my chaotic schedule. Gladiator is exactly what I needed in my life! My competitive nature has never faded away and now as an adult it's a perfect outlet for stress relief, fitness, and competition. Buuuuut, the real reason that I continue playing and trying to improve is because I really really really love tacos and beer and I can not imagine eliminating those things from my life ;) The workout I get from a good match completely justifies my food and drink indulgences! All of the people that I have encountered through gladiator have been wonderful and I'm thankful for the friendships that I've gathered along the way. I will continue playing tennis as long as my body lets me!
This is Michael's 2nd year in the league, and he entered the playoff draw as the #8 seed. Michael was able to win every round in straight sets before encountering #5 seed Vinod Samy in the semifinals. Michael pullled out a tough 3 set win in that match, 6-0,2-6,6-3,then defeated #6 seed Mathew Philip in the final.
Michael's Story: I started playing tennis about 2 years ago, joining a tennis club with my significant other. She and I would play almost everyday. Our casual hitting quickly turned into competition where I was taught (not so gracefully) how to start controlling my shots rather than just hitting them as hard as I can. As our games got a little better we were introduced into playing on a doubles league where we met some amazing local tennis players. We were introduced to Gladiator Tennis and have played for the last two years. Gladiator has been so much fun for me. I have enjoyed playing with people of my skill level. I have enjoyed the competitive nature, something I haven’t been around in years. Winning the mens 3.5 division is really a cool feeling and I am grateful to everyone who put it together. The competitors I played this year were all fantastic. Can’t wait till next year!
When you have anywhere from 100-200 players competing in your skill level, it's a major accomplishment to finish as champion. To do this twice is rare. Jennifer is one of 5 players in the history of the league who has won the playoffs at 2 different skill levels. In 2017, Jennifer won the 3.0 playoffs. Jennifer's playoff run this year almost ended in her first match in the Round of 32. She played Cassandra Cisneros in a match that could have went either way, pulling it out in a close 3 setter 6-7,7-5, 7-6. Jennifer was able to roll through the rest of the tournament without dropping a set. 3.5 players, watch out for Jennifer in 2020 - she's a winner!
Jennifer's Story:
I started playing tennis with my older brothers when I was a little kid. I practiced every night during the summer against the garage until I got good enough so they would let me play against them on an actual court. When I got to high school, I played occasionally against friends I had on the tennis team, but was too busy playing on other sports teams to devote a lot of time to it.
After a long break in my adult life from playing tennis, I learned about the Gladiator league from, guess who, my brother! I started playing more regularly against people my own skill level and I love it. My favorite part is that we can play locally and set our own schedule.
All the competitors are friendly people and continue to motivate me to improve my game so I can reach the next tennis goal. Thanks to League Coordinator Steve for putting it all together. It's really opened up a great opportunity for all of us who participate.
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This was Lindsey's first season in the league, and she started out in the Northwest suburbs division with a 1-5 record for the Spring Season. But she improved to 4-2 for the Summer Season, and finished the Fall Season with a 5-2 record, peaking at the right time to before the playoffs. After pulling out a close opening round match against Mindy Greer, she faced #1 seed Mandy Cowen in the quarterfinals. This turned out to be her toughest match of the tournament, and she prevailed 6-4,3-6,7-5. Lindsey won the semis and finals in straight sets to cap off a great first year!
Lindsey's Story: My enthusiasm for tennis began shortly before high school. Learning from my Dad and hitting balls daily, I soon became enthralled with the game. I made the high school team and continued through college. After a long hiatus, I realized how much I was missing the game. After some asking around, a friend had mentioned Gladiator and I immediately signed up.
Gladiator has been such a wonderful opportunity to get back into the game. It was exactly what I was looking for- a competitive but also social environment to form new friendships and play with like-minded individuals. I look forward to starting another season with Gladiator!
Aendri has put a lot of hard work into developing his game since joining the league in 2018, with group and individual lessons, and playing as often as he could. It all paid off this year. He improved to the point of moving up to 3.5 for the first time in the Fall Season, then was elligible to drop back down for the 3.0 playoffs as the #2 seed. Aendri rolled through the Round of 32, 16, quarters, and semis before encountering #1 seed Sanjay Sangalge in the final. After a fierce final battle, Aendri was the last man standing with a 1-6,6-2,6-3 victory.
Yuliya started in the doubles league in 2018, and joined the singles league this Summer and Fall. She faced a very stiff challenge in the final with Silvia Scott and prevailed 7-6,6-1.
Yuliya's Story: I started playing tennis when I turned 29. As a child there was no way to play tennis, tennis could only be seen on TV. When I moved to the USA , I got the idea to start playing tennis. I bought a racket, and 2 times went with a friend to the tennis court. The next time I picked up a racket in my hands was 5 years later. A good friend of mine took tennis lessons at Midtown and enthusiastically talked about how she likes to play tennis here. I decided to give it a try to learn as well. That was in May 2016. Since then, for more than 3 years I have been playing regularly. Tennis is not only a fun pastime, but also a way to constantly make acquaintances with new people, and an opportunity to keep yourself in good physical shape. I did not even believe that I would ever win any trophies in this sport. But this fall, I got my first tennis trophy. Now I have plans to continue to participate in future competitions and constantly improve my game.
Steve has played in the league for 8 years. In 2012, he and a handful of other players started our Oak Park league. Since 2014 he has been one of the core players in the City (Chicago). Steve rolled through the playoffs without dropping a set until he faced Chet K. in the finals. After losing the first set 2-6, Steve put it on turbo and ran away with it 6-0,6-0.
Steve's story: As a kid and through college, I started out playing a lot racquetball, and never really tried tennis. While away at college, my roommate at the time was in the university's tennis club and suggested that I give it a shot. I caught on fairly quickly and I ended up playing a bunch of tennis my last year in school, but then I graduated. Back in Chicago, I didn't really have anyone to continue to play tennis with. I eventually heard about Gladiator Tennis from an add posted at Potbelly's. The thing I enjoy about Gladiator is being able to meet new people and to get the opportunity to play on different courts around the area. I bounced around from 2.5-3.5 over the years, but recently was having trouble with my serve due to some nagging injuries. After some practice and healing, I was able to start to get back into form for this Fall season.
