{"id":396421,"date":"2026-01-09T02:53:12","date_gmt":"2026-01-09T02:53:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/396421\/"},"modified":"2026-01-09T02:53:12","modified_gmt":"2026-01-09T02:53:12","slug":"tennis-legends-pay-tribute-to-damian-kust-after-his-passing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/396421\/","title":{"rendered":"Tennis Legends Pay Tribute to Damian Kust After His Passing"},"content":{"rendered":"

The tennis community was rocked on Tuesday by the death of Last Word on Tennis (LWOT) writer Damian Kust<\/a>. He had been a contributor to LWOT since 2019, with his work including a weekly article about the ATP Challenger Tour<\/a>. Damian also hosted a weekly podcast about the Challenger Circuit for Cracked Racquets<\/a> and attended multiple tournaments as a journalist.<\/p>\n

How many people he touched with his work has been shown by the outpouring of tributes paid to him. There are too many for one article, but below contains condolences and praise from some of the most notable legends, organizations, and active players in tennis.<\/p>\n

Legends pay tribute to Damian Kust after his passing<\/p>\n

Damian\u2019s contributions over several years were enough for the official ATP Tour X page<\/a> to notice him, lauding his coverage of the sport and offering sympathies to those closest to him.<\/p>\n

\u201cDamian made a great contribution to our sport. His effort and passion will be sorely missed. Our deepest condolences to Damian\u2019s loved ones.\u201d<\/p>\n

A particularly fitting condolence<\/a> came from the ATP Challenger Tour\u2019s X post. That was particularly well-deserved after Damian\u2019s countless hours providing attention and analysis to the Challenger-level circuit, which single-handedly raised its popularity.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo sorry to hear of your loss. Rest in peace, Damian.\u201d<\/p>\n

Grand Slam champions were among those who mourned Damian\u2019s passing. Two-time US Open women\u2019s singles champion and former WTA world No. 1 Tracy Austin<\/a> offered his parents her condolences and said she would miss his contribution to the sport.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo sorry for your loss. I\u2019ll miss all of his knowledge and enthusiasm for our sport.\u201d<\/p>\n

2014 US Open winner Marin Cilic responded to a tweet from TennisOne\u2019s Vansh Vermani about the passing of Damian, saying how sorry he was to read about the sad news<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cVery sorry for a loss of your good friend. Deepest condolences to his family. May he rest in peace.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rennae Stubbs, a six-time Grand Slam doubles champion, former coach of Serena Williams, and a respected analyst, also mourned the sad news<\/a> and sent her best wishes to Damian\u2019s family.<\/p>\n

Terrible news. Sending my thoughts and love to Damian\u2019s entire family. https:\/\/t.co\/0i8Z1BkM8n<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Rennae Stubbs \u2648\ufe0f (@rennaestubbs) January 7, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

A particularly heartfelt tribute<\/a> came from former Wimbledon semifinalist and American ATP No. 1 John Isner, who wrote about how much everyone involved in tennis respected Damian\u2019s work.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am so so sorry for your loss. Damian was so well respected within our tennis community. A truly great guy. May he Rest In Peace and fly high in Heaven with our Lord and Savior.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another heartwarming message came from ex-French Open semifinalist Ivan Ljubicic<\/a>, who also served as Roger Federer\u2019s coach. The Croatian recounted having conversations with Damian about players on the ATP Challenger circuit.<\/p>\n

Oh that\u2019s horrific! So so sorry ! Damian was true tennis enthusiast and expert! I loved our chat about challengers level players \u2026. I am truly sorry for your loss! May he rest in peace<\/p>\n

\u2014 Ivan Ljubicic (@theljubicic) January 6, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

A shorter but still notable condolence message was from Sebastian Korda<\/a>, who responded directly to the post on Damian\u2019s X page from his parents that confirmed the sad news.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy condolences. Rest in peace, Damian.\u201d<\/p>\n

The impact of Damian\u2019s tireless work at ATP Challenger Tour events was shown in Laurent Lokoli\u2019s message<\/a>, who remembered seeing him at the Porto Open.<\/p>\n

\u201cRIP i had the pleasure to see him in Porto Open. Such a sad news.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kamil Majchrzak\u2019s tribute to Damian<\/a> after defeating Reilly Opelka in a 6-7 7-6 7-6 at the Brisbane International was the most beautiful of them all. In an Instagram post, the Pole said he felt he had help from above, and lauded Damian for his qualities as a person. From Poland himself, Damian often supported Polish players as a fan, and helped promote them as a journalist.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday\u2019s match was one of those where, besides preparation and good play, you also need something more. I felt that in the key moments, I had support from above. Damian left us way too soon. The world of tennis has lost not only a journalist, but above all, a great young man. Condolences to the family and loved ones.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those tributes show that Damian\u2019s impact on tennis will never be forgotten, and that his work was loved and admired by so many worldwide.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Main Photo: Damian as press at the Millenium Estoril Open<\/p>\n

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