Tennis News: Academy pioneer Nick Bollettieri passes away at 91
Hall of Fame tennis coach Nick Bollettieri, who worked with some of the biggest stars during the tennis boom of the 1970s, and established a tennis academy that transferred the training of young athletes, has died.
The sport of tennis has lost one of its greatest coaches as Nick Bollettieri has passed away at the age of 91.Nick Bollettieri passed away on December 4, at age 91.
His manager, Steve Shulla, said in a statement to the press: "When he became sick, he got so many wonderful messages from former students and players and coaches. Many came to visit him. He got videos from others. It was wonderful. He touched so many lives. He had a great send-off."
The legendary American coach never played tennis professionally but used to call himself the "Michelangelo of Tennis." He is known for helping more than ten players claim the World No. 1 spot on the rankings.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">"You were a dreamer and a doer, and a pioneer in our sport."<br><br>"You have given our sport so much, and will always be remembered and cherished as one of the kindest."<br><br>Reflections and tributes for the late Nick Bollettieri have begun to pour in. ❤️❤️<a href="https://t.co/lOkJP5Py6u">https://t.co/lOkJP5Py6u</a></p>— TENNIS (@Tennis) <a href="https://twitter.com/Tennis/status/1599788379306065920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Bollettieri Tennis Academy was opened in Bradenton, Florida, in 1978 before being acquired by IMG in 1987. The IMG Academy has grown across over 600 acres and now offers training for six other sports alongside tennis.
Maria Sharapova, Andre Agassi, Monica Seles, Jim Courier, Venus and Serena Williams are some of the big names coached by Bollettieri. Top tennis academies around the world have copied the teaching methods employed by him.
The first student of Bollettieri to reach World No. 1 was German great Boris Becker, followed by Jelena Jankovic, Martina Hingis and Marcelo Rios.
Eight-time majors champion and gold medallist Agassi tweeted: "Our dear friend, Nick Bollettieri, graduated from us last night. He gave so many a chance to live their dream. He showed us all how life can be lived to the fullest. Thank you, Nick."
Bollettieri became the fourth coach inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame in 2014. Six of his students have also made it to the Hall of Fame, along with many more expected to join once they become eligible.
Even in his old age, he remained active and travelled worldwide to watch top tennis tournaments.
Bollettieri was known for his leathery skin, strange voice and signature sunglasses. He was born in Pelham, New York, on July 31, 1931, majored in philosophy, became a paratrooper in the army, dabbled in law school and then became a tennis educator.
Bollettieri earned praise for his boot camp training, ability to identify talent and yelling when necessary to motivate his students. He convinced his students to use modern racket technology to overpower opponents with their serves and forehand strikes.
His devotion to his students kept him on the road for nine months of the year throughout his career, which he claimed was one of the factors leading to him being married eight times.
He once said: "In my dreams. I say, 'Nick, you're darn good.'"