Getting to know Daniel

About Me

Daniel Park

Hey gang! I’m so stoked that this community has grown to over 600 people in the last 6 months, and now there are many of you who I’ve never met! So I thought I’d take a second to say I love you howdy, break the digital acquaintance barrier, and help you get to know the lunatic behind Unforced Error.

So who are you?

I’m a 27 year old Korean tennis geek that lives in Portland, OR! I also love stand-up comedy, am most likely eating a peanut butter Clif Bar, and have listened to almost every single episode of the Smartless and How I Built This podcasts. Stalk me for the rest/boring stuff.

What’s your tennis background?

Peaked when I was 12 (ranked 11 in the country). I was a competitive junior, and was lucky enough to play college tennis at CMS (Claremont-Mudd-Scripps) down near LA! I still play a lot—got my ass kicked two weeks ago in a 5.0 match…

What’s your favorite tennis memory?

Every time I got to scream and root for my college teammates. Also practicing on a sunny 75 degree day at Claremont—there’s nothing better.

Who’s your favorite player?

Carlos Alcatraz, easily. The things he can do on a tennis court are just ridiculous.

Why did you start Unforced Error?

During my last job, I was working like a dawg. Which meant I had no time to watch tennis. Simultaneously, I read Morning Brew—a daily business newsletter—religiously because I love how they weave jokes and sarcasm into what would otherwise be boring business news. So one night last January, I was stressed about work, and avoided it by writing my first edition of Unforced Error in less than 20 minutes. I’ve been hooked ever since.

Since starting the newsletter, it seems like many have resonated with not being able to keep up with pro tennis given their busy lives. But there’s another side of the problem—even when you want to watch tennis, the current tournament could be 10 hours ahead in Sweden, and Tennis Channel might not have the broadcasting rights. Deadliest Catch re-runs it is! The global nature of the sport also makes keeping up with the sport a challenge.

I of course want people to watch the game—but I hope Unforced Error gives busy people a fun way to stay up to date with the sport while they’re having their Tuesday morning #2.

Game, Set, Match

Thanks for giving me a second to brag about my 12 and under ranking today. In all seriousness, writing Unforced Error and connecting with people through tennis brings me so much joy. So thank YOU for supporting this passion project—it seriously means the world 🙏🏼

Trivia

One of these players beat Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic the first time he played each of them. Who was it?

A. Fernando Gonzalez

B. Nick Kyrgios

C. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

D. Juan Martin del Potro

Find out at the bottom!

Meet the Player

Karen Khachanov

From: Russia 🇷🇺

Career High Ranking: 8

Fun Fact: If it weren’t tennis, said he’d be a basketball player

Game Analysis: At 6’ 6”, Khachanov is one of the hardest hitters on tour—known for bludgeoning groundstrokes side to side until your legs tap out. While his backhand is simple and effective, his forehand technique makes me want to vomit. If that’s any indication of what his jump shot would look like, then I’m never passing him the rock.

Career Prediction: Liam Hemsworth’s doppelgänger has stayed in the Top 30 since 2018. While I don’t love his game, I have major respect for his consistency. At 28, the Russian definitely has 2-3 more years in the Top 50 in him, and then I hope he brings his cheery attitude to team Rublev.

Around the Net

Some of my favorite tennis content I found on the internet this week…

✋ How do you know if you’re using the right grip size? This guide will help

🧈 Something you should never doubt: if Marat Safin still has it.

🧘 Quote from Rafael Nadal: “Enduring means accepting. Accepting things as they are and not as you wish them to be. And then looking ahead. And not behind."

Answer

B. Nick Kyrgios

He’s as surprised as we are