Nick Bollettieri was one of the most influential people in the world of tennis, renowned for his passion for excellence and the game. His training program is recognized as one of the best systems for developing top players. It was this proven method that Bollettieri used to coach 10 top-ranked players in the world (Andre Agassi, Boris Becker, Jim Courier, Martina Hingis, Jelena Jankovi¿, Marcelo RÍos, Monica Seles, Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams, and Venus Williams) plus a multitude of other world-class players, including Petra KvitovÁ, Sabine Lisicki, Kei Nishikori, Nicole VaidiŠovÁ, Tommy Haas, Radek Stepanek, Ivo Karlovic, Mary Pierce, Jimmy Arias, and Anna Kournikova. Bollettieri founded the world-renowned Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in 1978 to educate students in a dual environment of intense tennis training and academics. Within 10 years, Bollettieri expanded his vision, joining forces with IMG to turn the tennis academy into a multisport training facility now known as IMG Academy. He wrote numerous books on tennis, contributed to many television and video programs, and was recognized for his promotion of the sport. The Bollettieri name is synonymous with tennis excellence. The coach achieved numerous honors and awards, including induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2014. He was also inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame (2004), honored with the prestigious Sports and Service Award by the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health (2003), inducted into the Italian American Sports Hall of Fame (2002), and ranked as one of Tennis Magazine’s 50 Most Influential People in Tennis (2000) and as one of Sporting Life’s 25 People Who Have Influenced Tennis in the Past Century (2000). He was named National Coach of the Year for Tennis by the United States Olympic Committee and awarded the Tennis Educational Merit Award by the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Bollettieri passed away in 2022.
