The IMG Academy released a statement on Monday announcing the passing of legendary tennis coach Nick Bollettieri, who was 91. Bollettieri was responsible for developing stars like Andre Agassi and Maria Sharapova.
The announcement read, “Nick Bollettieri, the great tennis coach and creator of Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy, which served as the inspiration for today’s IMG Academy, has gone away.”
While some would disagree with his tactics, his Florida academy consistently produced elite players, and he was given the opportunity to work with ten of them as they rose to the top of the global rankings.
Other famous people that visited his Bradenton facility included Mary Pierce, Jim Courier, Monica Seles, and Anna Kournikova.
Venus and Serena Williams, as well as Boris Becker, received advice from Bollettieri.
Without Nick’s contribution, tennis wouldn’t be where it is today “As one of Bollettieri’s early students and the director of tennis at IMG Academy, Jimmy Arias stated.
“I had the opportunity of growing up in his tennis academy, which not only served as a launching pad for many tennis greats but also developed into an institution that has profoundly impacted the growth of athletes across various sports at all levels.”
In 1978, Bollettieri established the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy, which is now known as the IMG Academy, with a focus on rigorous physical training, total immersion, and continual competition among the best players in the world.
He was still incredibly enthusiastic about coaching almost until the the end.
Tim Pernetti, president of IMG Academy Bradenton, a division of IMG Academy, said, “Even in his final days, you could often find him on campus, coaching and teaching new student-athletes and staff with the same fire and excitement as he exhibited in his 20s