On May 4, 2025, a tragedy struck the tennis community when an 18-year-old prodigy, Braun Levi, passed away in an accident. He was just weeks away from graduating from Loyola High School, Los Angeles, and starting his journey at the University of Virginia. He was also set to make a name for himself as a professional tennis player. After all, he had broken into the Top 50 of UTR Sports’ Boys HS individual rankings and was No. 33 in California. He was a star that never got to shine at his brightest. And now, the USTA, Novak Djokovic, and Jan-Lennard Struff honor the late American star in a pretty heartwarming way. 

US Open Tennis shared a picture of Djokovic and Struff posing with Levi’s parents, Jennifer and Dan, and sister, Adelle, before round 4 of the US Open at the Arthur Ashe Stadium. The USTA welcomed the tragedy-struck family into the court to honor the 18-year-old prodigy by giving his family a shot at the coin toss. The family is all smiles in the photograph, despite their grief, as they continue to draw their strength from how the late prodigy chose to live his life.

Apart from his sporting aptitude, what will forever be a part of his enduring legacy is how he chose to stand by others on the back of a huge personal loss. Even after his family lost their home in the Palisades fire earlier this year, Braun organized a retreat for his fellow students who were affected by the catastrophe. It’s actions like this that have led his family and friends to adopt the mantra ‘Live like Braun’ as they continue to carry his memory with them. This mantra reflects the generosity, kindness, and joy that the high schooler brought into his family and everyone else whose life he touched. And it was fitting that Djokovic was part of this latest tribute. 

After all, Levi had served on the ball crew when Djokovic played in a UCLA exhibition match in 2013. But Djokovic and Struff weren’t the only ones to pay tribute to the lost soul.

Steve Johnson pays tribute to Braun Levi

Speaking on the tragic incident on the Nothing Major Show, Steve 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.”

Needless to say, the tragedy took a heavy toll on Levi’s family. Johnson revealed how Levi’s father made his, his wife, Kendall, and their daughters’ lives a lot less stressful during COVID. Johnson continued, “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.”

And now, Novak Djokovic and Jan-Lennard Struff stepped in to honor the late American star. What are your thoughts on the honor that the USTA gave Braun Levi’s family? Hop on to EssentiallySports Live Blog for more updates from the Flushing Meadows.