Taken too soon! Just a few days ago, the tennis community was hit really hard when a rising star was tragically struck and killed as a pedestrian by a drunk driver. A high school tennis prodigy, Braun Levi (18), was struck by a vehicle around 1 a.m. on May 4. When the officers arrived at the site, they found Levi in the street next to a vehicle along Sepulveda Boulevard in Manhattan Beach. Seeing him lying in the street, life-saving medical efforts were attempted, but as per the reports, the victim succumbed to fatal injuries. Levi was due to graduate from Loyola High School early next month, and now, unfortunately, fate seemed to have other plans. Just a month before his passing, he had broken into the Top 50 of UTR Sports’ Boys HS individual rankings and was number 33 in California. Recently, the former American tennis player, Steve Johnson, mourned the loss of this teenage sensation and revealed his personal connection with him and his family.
A four-time tour-level titlist, Steve Johnson (35), and his wife, Kendall Bateman, still remember the days when they got to know Braun Levi’s family closely. Speaking on this massive loss for Levi’s family and the tennis fraternity as a whole during the recent episode of the Nothing Major Show, Johnson said, “It’s just tragic, I mean there’s really no other way to put it you know as an 18-year-old kid just about to graduate high school go off to Virginia. It’s really hard to fathom…His dad is a doctor at UCLA. He’s one of the head pediatric cardiologists if not in America. He’s an absolute stud of a doctor and we had some health issues with our eldest Emma in her life and it wasn’t heart-related but he was the head doctor at UCLA where Emma was you know being held and being looked at.”
Johnson then revealed how Braun Levi’s father looked after him and his wife (Kendall) and their daughter’s overall well-being. He claimed his father at that time made their lives “a little less stressful in a situation where you know as new parents for Kendall and myself, it was high stress, especially during COVID.” He gave them the reassurance that “everything is going to be okay.” And now, seeing all these, the tennis star added, “It’s even harder to know that Braun is not going to be there with him to go off to Virginia to see him grow up and be the man he was going to be.“
Steve Johsnon said, “The outpouring of love that this kid brought to so many people, it’s hard to put into words. I can’t thank his parents and his dad enough for the help that he gave us back in the days a few years back. And the kids talk about Braun, the way he was it just make it even that much more tragic..“
According to the Los Angeles Times, Braun Levi was killed just a few months after his family’s home was destroyed during the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles County (January). As per the sources, he played an “instrumental” role in helping other young members of the community recover from the same tragedy. How did the other people who were close to Levi react to this tragic loss?
“Braun (Levi) was first my friend on the court” – doubles partner sheds tears on this tragic loss
Loyola High School Principal spoke to USA TODAY after this tragic incident, and during his interview, he said, Braun Levis was “exceptional” in every way. “He was an exceptional student, a killer athlete, one of the best tennis players in our school. He was a humble young man who did a great job of highlighting and bringing joy to the people around him. He was a stellar part of the community.” Loyola Athletics also hailed Levi as “the ultimate team captain” and a “true leader.”
Everyone who knew Levi spoke about his lovable personality, infectious smile, and boundless energy that made him a beloved member of the Loyola community. He left an impact everywhere he went, on everybody he meant. In the memory of Braun Levi, his family and friends have now opted to “celebrate the extraordinary years they shared with him and have adopted the mantra, ‘Live Like Braun!’“
His good friend and doubles partner on the tennis team, Cooper Schwartz, was literally shattered after hearing this tragic news. A day after this incident, he said, “I thought yesterday couldn’t get any worse. I’ve been crying all morning.” Perhaps, very few got to know Levi better than Schwartz and while talking about their partnership, he said, “It was just natural. Every time you were with him, you knew you were going to get some laughter, some smiles. He always made something out of nothing. He was just having a great time every time.”
He was hit so far with the loss of his close friend that he claimed, “To be honest, picking up a tennis racket is the last thing I want to do right now. I know Braun would want me to play, but if I’m not playing with Braun, I’m not playing. He’s who I warmed up with every single match, every single practice. Having that last win is something I don’t want to tarnish. Braun was first my friend on the court, but then was my friend off the court.”
As per the reports, the police said Jenia Belt, 33, was arrested on May 4 and is facing charges of driving while under the influence and murder. Share your thoughts on this tragic incident in the comment section.
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