Aaron Umen

Australian Open welcomes tennis spectators

February 17, 2021 By Aaron Umen Leave a Comment

Tennis fans attending a Grand Slam in-person… now there’s an idea many would not have imagined months ago! Thanks to the end of Melbourne’s COVID-prompted lockdown, crowds are able to attend the Australian Open.

Aaron Umen and tennis fans alike are ecstatic to see a slight return to normal in the sports sphere. Due to the end of Melbourne, Australia’s lockdown, spectators are now able to attend the Australian Open: in person! This is major for anyone who has missed being able to watch sporting events live and on location. It may be a small step toward normalcy, but it is a major stop nonetheless!

Naomi Osaka partners with Levi’s

February 1, 2021 By Aaron Umen Leave a Comment

Young tennis player, Naomi Osaka is early into her sports career — but she’s already making major waves. Recently named 2020 Female Athlete of the Year, Osaka is on track to dominate the court with her motivational message at the forefront.

Female Athlete of the Year, Naomi Osaka, is making a name for herself in the tennis world. Now, she’s taking her message of strength and persistence to a new audience by joining forces with a new Levi campaign. The campaign is part of the Levi Beauty of Becoming series, which officially debuted in January 2021. In her contribution, Osaka will share her success story as the first ever Japanese born tennis player to win a Grand Slam. (A highlight of this event, of course, was that Osaka defeated her idol, Serena Williams, in the competition for the US Open title.) A young tennis player himself, Aaron Umen is ecstatic to follow Naomi Osaka’s story — wherever it may take her!

How long has Rafael Nadal been in the Top 10?

January 19, 2021 By Aaron Umen Leave a Comment

For tennis fans, it’d be borderline blasphemy to even contest Rafael Nadal’s reign as tennis royalty. He’s certainly earned his right as a legend of the sport. Here’s how long the athlete has ranked in the Top 10:

This week, Rafael Nadal added yet another notch to his incredible belt of tennis accomplishments. He has now been in the FedEx ATP Top 10 Rankings for 800 consecutive weeks. Wow! In fact, he has held the record for consecutive weeks in the Top 10 since November 2020, when he booted Jimmy Connors’s previous record of 789 weeks off the court.

As a lifelong tennis player and fan, Aaron Umen is in absolute awe! When Rafael Nadal finally puts his racket down to retire, how many weeks of Top 10 ranking will he be remembered for? Only time will tell, but in Umen’s view, we shouldn’t expect to see that day come just yet!

Homeless man becomes local hero, saves animals from fire

December 27, 2020 By Aaron Umen Leave a Comment

When a local animal shelter caught fire, an unlikely hero sprung into action. Aaron Umen, World Bird Sanctuary volunteer, shares the story:

In Atlanta, Georgia on December 18th, W-Underdogs, an animal shelter, became engulfed in flames as the result of a kitchen mishap. Witness, Keith Walker, sprung into action, charging into the shelter to save the animals almost immediately. Walker admitted that he was ‘nervous’ and ‘really scared,’ but emphasized that ‘God put [him] there to save those animals.’

Thanks to Keith Walker’s incredible act of heroism, all animals were successfully retrieved from the burning shelter, without injury. However, Walker is currently homeless, as he has been for quite some time — on and off for a total of 40 years, to be exact. In honor of his incredibly selfless act of heroism, Aaron Umen encourages you to consider supporting local charities and initiatives that support the homeless community within your region.

Tennis Players Who Retired in 2020

December 15, 2020 By Aaron Umen Leave a Comment

Anything but a normal year, 2020 has served up some interesting happenings in the tennis world. But, just like any other, this year waved its fair share of goodbyes. Here are four tennis pros who retired in 2020:

There comes a time when even the greatest tennis players decide to step away from the court. (At least, professionally. It’d be sports blasphemy to assume the game ever truly stops for the greats!) Aaron Umen, and the pro tennis world of players and fans, bid these players farewell:

Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan

Retired on August 26, 2020

Career highlights include ten year-end No. 1s, multiple Grand Slam titles (16 from 30 finals), and ATP Masters 1000 crowns (39 from 59 finals). Career-High: No. 1.

Santiago Giraldo

Retired on October 6, 2020

Career highlights include 168 tour-level wins, ATP Tour finals at 2011 Vina del Mar and 2014 Barcelona, and 10 ATP Challenger Tour trophies. Career-High: No. 28.

Steve Darcis

Retired on January 15, 2020

Career highlights include 2 ATP Tour titles and reaching the third round at 2011 Roland Garros and 2017 Australian Open Grand Slams. Career-High: No. 38.

New Kids on the Court: The Next Generation of Tennis Legends

December 1, 2020 By Aaron Umen Leave a Comment

Make no mistake: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are still the leading legends out on the court. But there are quite a few young tennis stars in the making who are already making waves. Aaron Umen shares some insight on who’s who in men’s tennis:

The Next Four vs. The Big Three

There are plenty of talented tennis players performing at the pro level. But no matter the season, there are always shining stars who burn brighter than the rest. For years, the Big Three have dominated the tennis world.

You know Federer (because how could you not?!), your eyes are transfixed on the performance of Nadal and you either love or loathe Djokovic. But the truth is, the Big Three are on their respective tracks to retire (though fans like Aaron Umen certainly hope that isn’t soon).

Who will replace these leading legends? Some speculate that these four will take the court:

Dominic Thiem

Age 27, Austrian

Highlight: recently won the 2020 United States Open

Daniil Medvedev

Age 24, Russian

Highlight: won the 2020 Paris Masters

Stefanos Tsitsipas

Age 22, Greek

Highlight: will be playing the ATP Finals for his second year straight