Repton School

Nick Bollettieri: An Ageless Wonder With a Simple Philosophy
Article by Rituraj Borkakoty

9 December 2009 DUBAI—Age is just a number for 78-year-old Nick Bollettieri. From a very young age, Bollettieri wanted to do things that were not for the faint-hearted.

“I still remember that day vividly,” he impishly tells the students of Repton School. “I can never forget that day when I told my father that I wanted to become the best tennis coach in the world.

“He was surprised and said, ‘son, whatever you do, always remember that you will be responsible for the consequences.’ His words gave me the courage!”

Even at 78, this man has the never-say-die spirit of a bullfighter and the willpower of a general at war. While he was giving his speech at the tennis seminar in front of mesmerized students and their parents on a Monday evening, it seemed he had instantly lifted their spirits, inspiring them to crush the demons that play fickle games with their minds.

“I have always believed in a simple philosophy. And my philosophy in life is to win. Look, winners play with winners and losers play with losers. If you want to be somebody in life, you have to win. That’s the attitude I expect from everyone. It’s as simple as that.”

Well, it becomes pretty simple for us to realize why the likes of Andre Agassi, Jim Courier, Maria Sharapova, the Williams sisters, Monica Seles and Martina Hingis took their first steps under Nick Bollettieri.

With his gifted coaching skills and the priceless ability to motivate, he turned these unpolished stones into diamonds. After learning the game under him at the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy, all these players went on to become number one in the world of tennis.

As the organisers helped him find the way to the tennis courts (where he was to attend a tennis clinic) after his speech, this scribe could not resist the temptation of shaking his hand. The firm handshake was followed by a sentence made famous by the first black president of the United States of America.

“Yes, we can,” Bolletteiri gently replied when I asked if it was possible to talk to him for a few minutes. The fear of talking to the greatest maker of tennis champions disappeared when the name of an emerging Argentine brought a smile to his face.

“Del Potro was terrific (at the US Open),” he said. “He has got excellent footwork, a great two-handed backhand, and when he took the backhand high above the shoulder, Nadal should have never played crosscourt to his backhand. His backhand is even better than his forehand. And he has got a big serve. He moves well, volleys well. So Del Potro is going to be around. And he is just 20.”

Bollettieri then explains why his country has not been able to produce another world class player after Andy Roddick. “That is because we are playing against the whole world right now. In the 1980s and 1990, we controlled the world. Those days there were only five or six countries which produced good players.

“Now there are good players from so many countries. You have players from Serbia, Croatia, the Czech Republic, and then you have the Russians and the Spaniards. So it’s a different ball-game now.”

The emerging nations in this era have dethroned America as the most powerful tennis nation. And this era’s most powerful tennis player, Bolletteiri believes, would have been successful even if he had played in the era of Sampras and Agassi.

“Well, if Federer was involved in the same time when Agassi and Sampras played, that would have been very interesting. Had he been involved with guys like them at the same time, he certainly would not have been behind them.

“See, Agassi was one of the greatest returners of the serve, while Sampras and Federer are entirely different because of their games. You know it would have been interesting if Andre had played Federer early in his career because he would return so well. So it’s hard to compare players.

“But I think Federer is certainly one of the two best players in history, if not the best. Certainly, he and Sampras are right up there.”

And finally there was a glint in his eye when another reporter asked him about a fairytale comeback. “Oh, Kim (Clijsters) is a heck of girl. Her comeback was very important. It added a lot of excitement. I met her when she was practising at 10 in the morning on a Sunday at the Open. She gave me a

big hug, a kiss and said, ‘Hey, Nick, look, I have got a baby girl now.’

“She is full of life. She is good for the sport. That’s why as much as I love Serena, I didn’t feel bad when Kim won. Because I think the sport needed that."