Nick Bollettieri, arguably the most famous tennis coach in the world, has died at the age of 91.
During his career, Bollettieri has coached ten players who have gone on to rise to the top of the world rankings, including tennis icons such as Venus and Serena Williams, Andre Agassi, Boris Becker, Jim Courier and Maria Sharapova.
Jimmy Arias: ‘Tennis wouldn’t be where it is today without Nick’s influence’
Bollettieri founded the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Longboat Key, Florida in 1978 to provide physical training and competition to tennis players around the world. The academy moved to nearby Bradenton, Florida in 1981 and was acquired by IMG Corporation in 1987. In 2012, it was officially renamed the IMG Academy. Athletes from all over the world who are active in a wide variety of sports attend boarding schools and camps there to focus on their sports development.
Nick Bollettieri, the legendary tennis coach and founder of the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy, which was the basis for today’s IMG Academy, has passed away.
He was 91 years old. 💙🤍
🔗: https://t.co/vvFnYHowKc pic.twitter.com/zJYem2SvF6
— IMG Academy (@IMGAcademy) December 5, 2022
“Without Nick’s influence, tennis wouldn’t be what it is today,” said Jimmy Arias, director of tennis at the IMG Academy, who was once the No. 5 tennis player in the world under Bollettieri’s aegis. “His tennis academy, where I was privileged to grow up, has not only served as a stepping stone to many tennis greats, but has grown into an institution that has had a profound impact on the development of athletes in many sports a all levels.”
Bollettieri was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2014. In May 2022, the star coach became the first to be inducted into the IMG Academy Hall of Fame.
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