Famed coach who nurtured numerous champions on and off the tennis court
Nick Bollettieri, the Hall of Fame tennis coach who worked with some of the sport’s biggest stars, including Andre Agassi and Monica Seles, and founded an academy that revolutionised the development of young athletes, has died at the age of 91.
Known for his gravelly voice, leathery skin and wraparound sunglasses – and a man who called himself the ‘‘Michelangelo of Tennis’’ despite never playing professionally – Bollettieri helped no fewer than 10 players who went on to be No 1 in the world rankings. That group includes sisters Serena and Venus Williams, Jim Courier, Maria Sharapova, Agassi and Seles.
He remained active into his
80s, touring the world to drop in on the top tournaments and, in 2014, became only the fourth coach to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Six of his pupils already are in the Hall of Fame, a number sure to grow once others are eligible.
‘‘I forged my own path, which others found to be unorthodox and downright crazy,’’ Bollettieri said in his induction speech at the Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island. ‘‘Yes, I am crazy. But it takes crazy people to do things that other people say cannot be done.’’
The Bollettieri Tennis Academy opened in 1978 in Bradenton, Florida, and was purchased by IMG in 1987. The academy now spans more than 600 acres and offers programmes in more than a half-dozen sports in addition to tennis.
Bollettieri was an educator who would brag he never read a book. He also was an adept self-promoter – one who would publish a pair of autobiographies – no matter that detractors dismissed him as a hustler and huckster. The truth is, any criticism was no match for the astounding success of his pupils.
His teaching methods were widely copied and tennis academies dot the globe today.
Bollettieri’s first student to reach No 1 was Boris Becker in 1991. Then came others, such as Martina Hingis, Marcelo Rios and Jelena Jankovic.
Just as rewarding, Bollettieri said, were the successes of less accomplished players. ‘‘The fuel that has sustained me to the summit is, without a doubt, my passion to help others become champions of life, not champions just on the tennis court,’’ he said.
‘‘Nothing makes me more happy than when I run into a past student or receive a kind note telling me how I changed their lives, that they are better parents, lawyers, doctors, CEOs and people because of the impact I made on their lives.’’
Bollettieri’s devotion to his players came at a cost. For much of his career, he was on the road nine months out of every year, and he cited his travel schedule as one reason he was married eight times.
Survivors include his wife, Cindi, seven children and four grandchildren.
Nicholas James Bollettieri was born in Pelham, New York. He earned a philosophy degree and played tennis at Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama, and was a paratrooper in the US Army before enrolling in law school at the University of Miami.
For spending money, Bollettieri began teaching tennis for US$1.50 an hour, according to the Hall of Fame. More than 60 years later, his fee was $900.
After a few months, he dropped out of law school to concentrate on coaching. At first, he conceded, knowledge of tennis technique wasn’t his forte.
‘‘I didn’t know much about teaching the game,’’ he said. ‘‘The gift God gave me was the ability to read people.’’
Bollettieri won praise for his motivational skills, yelling when he deemed it necessary. He had an eye for talent and was a visionary regarding boot-camp training for young athletes who lived together.
He bought a club in 1978, and students lived in his house. Two years later, he borrowed $1 million from a friend to build a first-of-itskind complex in what had been a tomato field.
The site now has a boarding school, 55 tennis courts and facilities for seven other sports, including football, basketball and baseball.
Running a business wasn’t Bollettieri’s strong suit, and he sold the academy to IMG but continued to work there, stressing a tactical approach that transformed tennis.
He urged players to take advantage of modern racket technology, emphasising power over finesse.
The academy churned out big hitters who relied on their serve and forehand to overpower opponents. That approach worked for Agassi, Seles, Courier and many others.
‘‘In my dreams,’’ Bollettieri confessed with a grin, ‘‘I say, ‘Nick, you’re darn good.’ ’’ –
‘‘I forged my own path, which others found to be unorthodox and downright crazy.’’ Nick Bollettieri