Player Spotlight: Mostafa Baladi

Mostafa Baladi

•  3.5 Level
• Economist

Gladiator Highlights

• 14 seasons played
• 27 career wins  
• 2493 wildcard points earned 
• playoff qualifier every year since 2007
• 16 epic matches decided by a 3rd set tiebreaker
  

Gladiator Tennis launched in 2007 with only 34 players in the first season.  Mostafa was one of these players who founded the league, and he has played in every single season we have been in existence.  Mostafa discovered the league at the Naperville YMCA, where he saw our neon yellow flyer.

Tennis has always been Mostafa's favorite sport, and he played in a USTA league for 15 years while living in Madison, Wisconsin.  Mostafa moved from Madison to the Chicago suburbs, and dropped out of tennis for a year while searching for other people to play.  Gladiator offered the competition and flexible scheduling he was looking for, and he credits it as an excellent way to get back in the game, keep active, and stay in shape.  Tennis runs in the family, and Mostafa's son plays in the league at the 5.0 level.

Player Spotlight: Nitesh Arora

Nitesh Arora

• 5.0 level
• 38 years old
• Software Developer

Gladiator Highlights

• 13 seasons played 
• 11 players referred into the league
• 39 Career Wins 
• 3630 Wildcard Points earned
• Playoff qualifier every year since 2007
• Best playoff finishes:  2007 finalist, 2009 4.5 finalist

Nitesh has played every year since the league's inception in 2007, and has referred many players into the league.  He found out about the league when renting a movie at rental store and seeing one of our bright neon yellow flyers posted there.  The idea of competitive play minus travel was appealing, and he took a chance on it.  5 years later, Nitesh is still playing and has been one of the core players of our league.  Nitesh exemplifies the sportsmanship that is so frequently found in our players.

Prior to Gladiator, Nitesh had not played competitive tennis.  He learned the game by watching pro tennis on TV and playing with teenage friends in India where he grew up.  Upon coming to America 13 years ago, Nitesh kept an eye open for tennis players and finally saw the flyer for Gladiator.  He started out in the 4.0 division, and steadily moved up to 5.0 where he has played all 2010 and 2011.  Now that he's back in the game, Nitesh also plays USTA tennis, and plays at Naperville Tennis Club in the winter.

The 8 "founding fathers" of Gladiator Tennis

Left to right: Alex Potts, Mostafa Baladi, Robert Fishman, Steve Hess, Scott Risley, Jeff Barnett, Ray Travis, Nitesh Arora  Not pictured is Mike Krohn

 

 

 

 

Our league is indebted to the 8 players above who helped get Gladiator off the ground in 2007, and continue to make up the core of the league today.  Now we have over 500 players - who would have imagined it!  This blog will start by spotlighting each of these 8 players - our "founding fathers".  Stay tuned each week for a new blog entry.

Welcome!

Gladiator Tennis wants to wish you a Happy New Year and welcome you to the latest addition to our newly revamped site.

Our Blog is going to feature the latest in Gladiator Tennis News, Player Spotlights and Highlights from our season. We look forward to a happy, healthy and injury-free 2012 with all of you.