Iconic tennis coach dies weeks after fake death report

1 year ago 84

Nick Bollettieri, the Hall of Fame tennis manager who worked with immoderate of the sport's biggest stars, including Andre Agassi and Monica Seles, and founded an academy that revolutionised the improvement of young athletes, has died. He was 91.

Bollettieri died astatine location successful Florida aft a bid of wellness issues, his manager, Steve Shulla, said successful a telephone interrogation with The Associated Press. His decease came conscionable a fewer weeks aft helium was forced to contented a nationalist denial after respective outlets reported his passing prematurely.

"When helium became sick, helium got truthful galore fantastic messages from erstwhile students and players and coaches. Many came to sojourn him. He got videos from others," Shulla said. "It was wonderful. He touched truthful galore lives and helium had a large send-off."

Known for his gravelly voice, leathery tegument and wraparound sunglasses — and a antheral who called himself the "Michelangelo of Tennis" contempt ne'er playing professionally — Bollettieri helped nary less than 10 players who went connected to beryllium No.1 successful the satellite rankings. That radical includes sisters Serena and Venus Williams, Jim Courier, Maria Sharapova, Agassi and Seles.

"Our beloved friend, Nick Bollettieri, graduated from america past night. He gave truthful galore a accidental to unrecorded their dream," Agassi wrote connected Twitter. "He showed america each however beingness tin beryllium lived to the fullest … Thank you, Nick."

Bollettieri remained progressive into his 80s, touring the satellite to driblet successful connected the apical tournaments and, successful 2014, became lone the 4th manager to beryllium inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. That was the aforesaid twelvemonth different 1 of his proteges, Kei Nishikori, reached the last of the US Open.

Six of his pupils already are successful the Hall of Fame, a fig definite to turn erstwhile others are eligible.

"I forged my ain path, which others recovered to beryllium unorthodox and downright crazy," Bollettieri said successful his induction code astatine the hallway successful Newport, Rhode Island. "Yes, I americium crazy. But it takes brainsick radical to bash things that different radical accidental cannot beryllium done."

The Bollettieri Tennis Academy opened successful 1978 successful Bradenton, Florida, and was purchased by IMG successful 1987.

The IMG Academy present spans much than 600 acres and offers programs successful much than fractional a twelve sports successful summation to tennis.

Bollettieri was an pedagogue who would brag helium ne'er work a book, ne'er caput that helium majored successful doctrine successful assemblage and adjacent gave instrumentality schoolhouse a try, albeit for little than a year.

He besides was an adept self-promoter — 1 who would people a brace of autobiographies — nary substance that detractors dismissed him arsenic a hustler and huckster. The information is, immoderate disapproval was nary lucifer for the astounding occurrence of his pupils.

His teaching methods were wide copied and tennis academies dot the globe today.

"Our athletics mislaid 1 of its astir passionate coaches & advocates," Hall of Fame subordinate Billie Jean King wrote connected Twitter. "Nick was ever affirmative & was capable to get the champion retired of everyone fortunate capable to enactment w/him."

Bollettieri's archetypal pupil to scope No.1 was Boris Becker successful 1991. Then came others, specified arsenic Martina Hingis, Marcelo Rios and Jelena Jankovic.

Just arsenic rewarding, Bollettieri said, were the successes of little accomplished players.

"The substance that has sustained maine to the acme is, without a doubt, my passionateness to assistance others go champions of life, not champions conscionable connected the tennis court," helium said. "Nothing makes maine much blessed than erstwhile I tally into a past pupil oregon person a benignant enactment telling maine however I changed their lives, that they are amended parents, lawyers, doctors, CEOs and radical due to the fact that of the interaction I made connected their lives."

Bollettieri's devotion to his players came astatine a cost. For overmuch of his career, helium was connected the roadworthy 9 months retired of each year, and helium cited his question docket arsenic 1 crushed helium was joined 8 times.

Survivors see his wife, Cindi, 7 children and 4 grandchildren, according to Shulla, who said a solemnisation of Bollettieri's beingness is planned for March.

Nicholas James Bollettieri was calved July 31, 1931, successful Pelham, New York. He earned a doctrine grade and played tennis astatine Spring Hill College successful Mobile, Alabama, and was a paratrooper successful the Army earlier enrolling successful instrumentality schoolhouse astatine the University of Miami.

For spending money, Bollettieri began teaching tennis for $1.50 (USD) an hour, according to the Hall of Fame. More than 60 years later, his interest was $900 (USD).

After a fewer months, helium dropped retired of instrumentality schoolhouse to ore connected coaching. At first, helium conceded, cognition of tennis method wasn't his forte.

"I didn't cognize overmuch astir teaching the game," helium said. "The acquisition God gave maine was the quality to work people."

Bollettieri won praise for his motivational skills, yelling erstwhile helium deemed it necessary. He had an oculus for endowment and was a visionary regarding boot-camp grooming for young athletes who lived together.

He bought a nine successful 1978, and students lived successful his house. Two years later, helium borrowed $1 cardinal (USD) from a person to physique a first-of-its-kind analyzable successful what had been a herb field.

The tract present has a boarding school, 55 tennis courts and facilities for 7 different sports, including football, hoops and baseball.

Running a concern wasn't Bollettieri's beardown suit, and helium sold the academy to IMG but continued to enactment there, stressing a tactical attack that transformed tennis. He urged players to instrumentality vantage of modern racquet technology, emphasising powerfulness implicit finesse.

The academy churned retired large hitters who relied connected their service and forehand to overpower opponents. That attack worked for Agassi, Seles, Courier and galore others.

"In my dreams," Bollettieri confessed with a grin, "I say, 'Nick, you're darn good.'"

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