Nick Bollettieri obit

Nick Bollettieri, famed tennis coach, dies aged 91

 

He was not on the list.

Nick Bollettieri, the famed tennis coach who taught the likes of the Williams sisters, Andre Agassi and Maria Sharapova, has died aged 91.

Bollettieri’s death was confirmed by the IMG Academy, which Bollettieri is the founder of, in a statement sent to CNN.

“Anyone who knew Nick knows how much he loved developing the potential in young people, coaching tennis and this Academy,” Tim Pernetti, president of IMG Academy Bradenton – a division of IMG Academy – said.

“Even in his last days, you could often find him on campus, coaching and mentoring young student-athletes and staff with the same passion and enthusiasm as he did in his 20s. Our heart goes out to his wife, Cindi, and his children. He has made a permanent and lasting impact on all of us.”

Tommy Haas, former world No. 2 and one of Bollettieri’s former pupils, posted a heartfelt tribute on Instagram.

“So many memories, I am not sure where to begin. Nickiiiii, that’s how I have called you for the longest time,” Haas wrote.

“Thank you for your time, knowledge, commitment, expertise, the willingness to share your skill, your personal interest in mentoring me, and giving me the best opportunity to follow my dreams. You were a dreamer and a doer, and a pioneer in our sport, truly one of a kind.

“I surely will miss you around the academy, our Tennis talks, miss showing of your tan, white teeth and body fat, miss watching you do Tai Chi, miss playing Golf with you watching you try to cheat, eating a Snickers bar and running for the bushes, and hearing all about your plans even at the age of 91.

“Thanks again for everything…….. RIP Nickiiiii.”

Born in Pelham, New York, Bollettieri turned his attention to tennis coaching to earn money on the side while studying for a law degree at the University of Miami. He had previously spent time as a high school football quarterback and a paratrooper in the military.

In 1977, he founded the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy – now the IMG Academy – after borrowing $1 million from a friend to build a live-in tennis academy for his students.

During over 30 years as a coach, Bollettieri became one of the most sought-after teachers in world tennis due to the success players had under him.

The Academy has since expanded into other men’s and women’s sports, including baseball, football and soccer.

In 2006, in an interview with CNN World Sport, the famed trainer laid out his vision for successful athletes, and how they must be open to change.

“The physical and mental part of the game cannot be secondary to your court time,” he said. “You must have a passion for the game and compete for every single point.”

He coached multiple grand slam winners and 10 world No. 1 players, including Agassi, Venus and Serena Williams, Sharapova, Boris Becker, Monica Seles and Anna Kournikova before being inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2014.

2011 Wimbledon runner up and former world No. 12 Sabine Lisicki paid tribute to Bollettieri on her social media, saying: “Thank you Nick.”

“It’s hard to find the right words and I’m not sure if I’ll be able to,” the German wrote.

“You have given so many children a place to work for their dream. Supporting them with your knowledge and the believe that anything is possible. I was fortunate to be one of them. So many memories we created together that I will cherish forever.

“You’ve shaped the game of tennis and even just a couple of months ago at 92 you were telling me all about your next plans.

“You will be dearly missed. Rest In Peace Nicki.”

Jimmy Arias, former world No. 5 and one of Bollettieri’s original students, also paid tribute to him.

“Tennis wouldn’t be where it is today without Nick’s influence,” Arias said.

“His tennis academy, which I had the privilege of growing up within, not only served as a launching pad for many tennis greats but evolved into an institution that has had a profound impact on the development of athletes across many sports at all levels.”

Born in Pelham, New York, to immigrant Italian parents, Nick Bollettieri attended Pelham Memorial High School. He was a charter member of the Beta Lambda Chapter of the Omega Gamma Delta Fraternity and he graduated in 1949. In 1953, he graduated from Spring Hill College (Mobile, Alabama) with a degree in philosophy. After serving with the United States Army and attaining the rank of First Lieutenant in 1956, he turned to teaching tennis after dropping out of the University of Miami Law School. Bollettieri's first students included Brian Gottfried. His first formal tennis camp was at Wayland Academy in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin.

Though he had only dabbled in the sport in high school, Bollettieri was the tennis director at Doral Beach Hotel in Puerto Rico in the late 1960s when it was a Rockefeller resort.

Moving to Longboat Key, Florida, in 1978, Bollettieri served as an instructor for the Colony Beach and Tennis Resort. In the early 1980s, Bollettieri opened the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy (NBTA) near Bradenton, Florida on 40 acres (162,000 m²) in unincorporated Manatee County on the west coast of Florida, about fifty miles south of Tampa.

Seeing a template for other sports, International Management Group (IMG) bought the academy from Bollettieri in 1987, but Bollettieri continued to manage and play a pivotal role in the development of the tennis academy and ancillary programs. In his final years Bollettieri coached top-tier players at the academy, and spent most of his time in Bradenton, Florida.

Bollettieri continued to teach and hold public speaking engagements worldwide, including a visit to teach students at Tri-State Athletic Club in Evansville, Indiana. He was also the instruction editor of Tennis magazine. Over the course of his life, Bollettieri wrote two memoirs: My Aces, My Faults with Dick Schaap in 1996, and Bollettieri: Changing the Game in 2014.

Bollettieri also wrote a 2001 instructional book, Bollettieri's Tennis Handbook, which covers everything from stroke techniques and strategies to skill development and physical and mental conditioning. Additionally, he was featured in the Nick Bollettieri DVD Collection, a set of ten instructional DVDs that cover a wide range of practice methods.

The earliest Bollettieri pupils to reach No. 1 were Monica Seles, Jim Courier, and Andre Agassi. Later, Marcelo Ríos climbed to the top while associated with Bollettieri. The Williams sisters had a long-standing relationship with Bollettieri, having visited the academy for years, and they have often prepared for Grand Slams there. Mary Pierce and Anna Kournikova also trained at the academy. More recent students who trained with Bollettieri include Maria Sharapova (who moved from Russia at the age of nine) and Jelena Janković (from Belgrade, Serbia, aged 12); both became no. 1. Max Mirnyi, who trained with Bollettieri for 17 years, was ranked world number 1 in men's doubles. Bollettieri's most famous coaching roles while travelling as a tour coach were with Andre Agassi from 1986 until Bollettieri ended the arrangement following the 1993 Wimbledon tournament, and with Boris Becker from December 1993 to August 1995. Before becoming a wildlife-related personality, Frank Cuesta had also attended Bollettieri's academy, and became a tennis coach himself in Thailand.

Bollettieri was married eight times, and had seven children. He was survived by his eighth wife, Cindi Eaton, who he had married on April 22, 2004. The same year, they founded Camp Kaizen, a nonprofit fitness camp.

Bollettieri died at home in Bradenton, Florida, on December 4, 2022, at age 91.