"Thank you for everything" - the tennis world mourns the loss of coaching legend Nick Bollettieri
Tommy Haas said goodbye to his longtime companion Nick Bollettieri with an emotional statement on social media. The coaching legend passed away at the age of 91.
by Michael Rothschädl
last edit: Dec 05, 2022, 10:00 am
There is hardly a coach who has so many great careers to his credit as is the case with Nick Bollettieri. Andre Agassi, Jim Courier, Tommy Haas, Monica Seles, the Williams Sisters, Maria Sharapova, Sabina Lisicki, Boris Becker for a short time, and many more - they all had the American under contract. And they all got a taste of the tough training methods Bollettieri was known for.
Bollettieri began his career as a tennis coach as early as 1956, years later the coaching legend founded the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy, now the IMG Academy, in Florida. Bollettieri has been a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame since July 2014 for his services to tennis. The American reportedly passed away on Sunday evening at the age of 91. The poor health of the American had been reported for weeks.
Bollettieri: "One of a kind"
Tommy Haas, Bollettieri's long-time protégé, said goodbye to the legendary coach on Monday morning (CET): "Thank you very much for your time, your knowledge, your dedication, your expertise, your will to share your skills, your personal interest, mine To be a mentor and give me a chance to pursue my dreams," Haas wrote. "You were a dreamer and a doer - and a pioneer in our sport - truly one of a kind."
The first protégé of Bollettieri to make it to the top of the ATP charts was Jim Courier. In 1993 the American took over the coaching job for Boris Becker, who had already been at the top of the ATP world rankings two years earlier. A few weeks earlier, another player coached by Bollttieri, Monica Seles, had reached the top of the WTA rankings. Tommy Haas: "Thank you for everything. Rest in peace, Nickiiii."