Famous American tennis coach Nick Bollettieri passed away on Sunday at the age of 91. He coached some of the best tennis players in the world, including Andre Agassi, Anna Kurnikova, Boris Becker and sisters Venus and Serena Williams. The Dutch Michaëlla Krajicek also trained at his academy in the state of Florida.
The American of Italian descent left his mark on tennis by opening his later famous tennis academy in 1978. He brought young talent to Florida and trained them to become pros in an almost military fashion. “Some say it’s the combination of Italian flair and dexterity, plus his background as a Marine, that make him the hard-handed charmer,” wrote NRC in 1993. Success followed; no less than ten of his pupils made it to the number 1 spot in the world rankings.
In 2014, Bollettieri was inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame, which honors former tennis players and others who have made a difference to the sport. Bollettieri was not known for his modesty. He had the gift of “reading people like no other,” he thought. People hung on his every word, said the coach in 2009. “Because they know that what I say is correct. I always stick to the facts.”
Couldn’t play tennis myself
Bollettieri was a tennis coach who couldn’t play tennis very well himself. His strength lay in his hard hand and discipline. Nevertheless, Dutch tennis player Michaëlla Krajicek, who trained at his academy, called him “not only a great coach, but also a warm and caring person.”
In a interview following the documentary Love Means Zero about Bollettieri’s life, her brother Richard Krajicek characterized the American as “an incredible motivator”. Krajicek did not train with Bollettieri, but visited his academy several times. When Bollettieri talks to you, Krajicek said, “you feel like you can take on the whole world and be number 1 in the world in three weeks. Nick does that to you.”