The tennis world mourns the loss of one of the most legendary coaches of all time, Nick Bollettieri. The legendary coach, who shaped the lives of multiple tennis stars, passed away at the age of 91, on December 4. Many stars like Martina Navratilova, Andre Agassi, and Coco Gauff mourned the loss of the coach. He revolutionized the sport and became one of the most renowned tennis coaches of all time. A true tennis enthusiast has finally bid farewell to the world and the sport.
Bollettieri worked with renowned players like Agassi, Serena and Venus Williams, Monica Seles, Maria Sharapova, and Boris Becker.
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Andre Agassi and Coco Gauff mourn the loss of Nick Bollettieri
The world lost one of the biggest tennis coaches who worked with former World No 1 players. Besides, young players, like Coco Gauff, paid a heartfelt tribute to the deceased coach. The American tennis sensation took to her Instagram story and stated, “RIP to one of the pioneers of the sport and one of the greatest coaches the game has seen.” She added a picture of herself with him. She stated, “this picture was taken at my first time ever playing a Grand Slam and he came to watch me play during U.S. Open 2018.”
Apart from that, former world number one Andre Agassi took to his Twitter. He stated, “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 lift to the fullest… Thank you, Nick.”
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 🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/PhO36oPWpI
— Andre Agassi (@AndreAgassi) December 5, 2022
Always a firm believer in hard work and resilience, the coach started his Bollettieri Academy in the 1980s. He was the first man to execute the idea of making boarding schools for tennis a reality.
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This format eventually led to becoming one of the major game-changers for tennis players. For his contribution to the tennis world, he was awarded a place in the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2014.
The coach who revolutionized tennis
He never played as a professional player. But he went on to write down to become one of the most respected tennis coaches. He was a major ‘contributor’ to the sport. Moreover, the idea of starting residential schools for tennis training inculcated a more productive trend in the tennis realm.
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Bollettieri guided numerous tennis legends. Now, all of them carry his legacy bearing the fruits of his guidance.