Nicholas James Bollettieri, internationally recognized as the most successful tennis coach of all time, died Sunday, December 4, 2022, at his home in Bradenton, Florida, at the age of 91.
Nick, as he was known to nearly everyone, passed away peacefully surrounded by his wife, Cindi (Eaton); his children; grandchildren and much-beloved lifelong friends.
Nick was born July 31, 1931, in Pelham, New York, to James Thomas Bollettieri and Mary Rita DeFillipo. He grew up in a multi-generational home with his parents, older sister, Rita, younger brother, James, and maternal grandparents. Although never taken with academics, his love for sports started at an early age. Nick lettered in both varsity basketball and football at Pelham Memorial High School. He fulfilled his role as quarterback for the team with the same enthusiasm and dedication that would become a hallmark of every endeavor he undertook in the future.
It was while he was working on his Bachelor of Science degree at Springhill College in Mobile, Alabama, that his younger brother, James "Jimmy Boy" Bollettieri died in a tragic accident at the age of 14. His death profoundly affected Nick, who found solace in and around the ocean. What would become his lifelong passion for maintaining a superior tan began during his summer job as a lifeguard on Virginia Beach.
While at college Nick was in the ROTC program. Upon graduation, he served in the Army as a 1st Lieutenant and a paratrooper in the 187th Airborne Division in Fort Campbell making more than 50 jumps. Nick would later make his final jump to celebrate his 80th birthday.
Upon completing his commitment to the military stateside, Nick enrolled at the University of Miami Law School where his stay was mercifully brief. While in Law School, and needing to earn some extra money Nick decided he would learn how to teach tennis. His influential Uncle Kenny DeFillipo found him a job at Victory Park giving tennis lessons. He learned how to coach, in part, by sending his first wife to watch other pros and report back to him. His first "pro shop“ was a table wedged between two Pepsi machines and his teaching fee was $3 per hour–years later rising to $900 per hour. Steep yes, but, as Nick would say, "Gunfighters don’t charge by the bullet."
Nick went on to coach tens of thousands of tennis players over the next almost 70 years. Nick’s illustrious tennis career evolved from working as a rec coach at Victory Park to the head pro at several prestigious clubs in the mid-west to the family pro for the Rockefeller family and head tennis pro for their Roc Resorts to a summer camp owner and operator and then to starting the world’s first-ever boarding sports academy...The Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy. It was Nick’s friend and confidant, Vince Lombardi, who first recognized Nick’s special talent for inspiring and motivating children and helped Nick get his first summer camp in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. After the success of this camp, Nick’s friends, AL McGuire and A.C Neilsen helped Nick start All American Sports and develop other summer camps for kids. In 1977, Nick moved to the Sarasota area to take over the tennis program at the Colony Beach and Tennis Resort, owned by Dr. Murray "Murf" Klauber. It was here that Nick’s genius as a motivator, innovator and savant helping young players reach their full potential really took off and the NBTA was born.
In 1980 at The Colony, Nick was explaining to a guest, Louis Marx, how the Colony program was growing and how he needed more space and better facilities. Mr. Marx, a successful businessperson, replied, "Well, build it." Nick asked, "With what?" Mr. Marx said, "With money. I’ll lend it to you"–and he did. He wrote Nick a check for $1 million and arranged for an additional $1 million from a bank. In November 1981, on 40 barren acres of former tomato fields off 34th Street in Bradenton, Nick opened the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy. It was the first major sports boarding school in the world with a holistic and fully integrated training program.
The model has since been adopted and employed by many others throughout the world. In 1987, the International Management Group (IMG) bought the Academy, but with the condition that Nick stayed on as President and remain active in the development and growth of all the students, as well as continuing to coach top players from around the world on-site. He was coaching players right up until his death. The Academy now encompasses over 600 acres with over 1400 students from 72 different countries training in 8 (soon to be 9) different sports. Through his vision and his ability to convince others in believing in him and helping him make his dream become a reality, Nick not only put Bradenton, FL on the map; but made the State of Florida known around the world as the mecca for people wanting to work hard to really make their dreams come true.
Nick always considered the family farm, Breezy Hill Farm in Craftsbury Common, Vermont as his favorite place to be when not on the court. He found enormous joy driving (at rather rapid speed) visitors around the farm showing them his beloved rock walls, beautiful flower beds and garden, the popular swim pond and his herd of Wagyu cows. In Vermont, he found a place where he could recharge his batteries. Along with summers, Nick especially enjoyed Christmas at the farm where he could show off his tremendous fire-making skills in his much-loved fireplace...it is where he and his sons, Giovanni and Giacomo Bollettieri would sleep in front of every Christmas Eve.
With the help of their Vermont family and several dear friends, Nick and Cindi created Camp Kaizen, a fitness camp for young ladies. Camp Kaizen ran for many years in Burke and Craftsbury, Vermont. It took a holistic approach to wellness and had great success at transforming the lives of many campers.
Nick was honored to have been inducted into 13 Hall of Fames. Especially meaningful to Nick, although the honor came late in life, was his induction in 2014 to the International Tennis Hall of Fame. A year later, he became the first white man to be inducted into the Black Tennis Hall of Fame, perhaps a recognition of Nick’s lifelong efforts to involve African Americans in the sport. He and tennis icon Arthur Ashe were not only friends, but together created the Ashe Bollettieri Inner Cities program to bring free tennis and education programs to inner-city communities throughout America. Most recently, Nick worked with the USTA Foundation to provide the same opportunities for inner city youth.
Nick will forever be enshrined in the record books as the coach who guided 10 players to the Number One singles ranking in the world. A record that is unlikely to ever be broken. The players are Andre Agassi, Boris Becker, Jim Courier, Martina Hingis, Jelena Jankovic, Marcelo Rios, Monica Seles, Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams, and Venus Williams.
Given Nick’s long and unprecedented career, he was often asked what he wanted to be remembered for. Was it the 10 number one’s, the Academy, the successful training model, or for changing the game of tennis? His answer was always the same. He wanted to be remembered for that which brought him the greatest joy, helping youngsters and adults alike find their true inner gifts, and then motivating and guiding them to use those gifts to reach their full potential. His work ethic and passion were contagious and thousands have become much more than better tennis players and coaches under his watchful eye, he made them better versions of themselves off the court as well. People found Nick to be a limitless energy source. To be near Nick left one feeling invigorated and confident.
Having been raised in a large Italian family, Nick was happiest when surrounded by lots of people and good food. He immediately felt at home with his extra-large Vermont family; in–laws Peter and Nancy (Goss) Eaton of Derby Line, Allen and Tami (Eaton) Young of Lyndonville and Timothy and Penny (Morris) Eaton of Jericho, and lots of nieces and nephews Bethany (Young) Lara, Matt and Whitney (Young) Saunders, Justin and Alley (Young) Larocque, Ian and Renn (Gardner) Young, Benjamin and Emily (Bowman) Young, Elias and Nancy (Young) Worley and Jonathan Young and of course the "littles“ in his life, his grand-nieces and nephews Malachi, Alaina, Obidiah, Ronan, Evelyn, Merritt, Charlotte, Annika, Elliott, Ira, Selah and one on the way. Nick was predeceased by his dear family friend, Louis "Sandy“ Starr from Craftsbury.
Nick’s greatest achievements were his seven children. Being a child of Nick’s meant always sharing your Dad’s attention and resources with thousands of other youngsters, but each one of his kids knew that Nick loved them deeply and was immensely proud of every one of their achievements, large or small. Nick is survived by his children, James Thomas Bollettieri, Danielle Bollettieri (Greg Breunich), Angelique Bollettieri, Nicole Bollettieri Kroenig (Brad), Alexandra Bollettieri, Giovanni Bollettieri and Giacomo Bollettieri. Nick’s four grandchildren, Willa Bay Breunich, Addison Skye Breunich, Hudson Kroenig and Jameson Kroenig called him "Pop-Pop“ and were the source of endless joy for him. Nick was predeceased by his father, James Thomas Bollettieri; his mother, Mary Rita (DeFillipo) Bollettieri; his sister, Rita Mary (Bollettieri) Dutch and his brother, James Thomas Bollettieri. Nick was blessed with many incredible people in his life whom he considered his family and closest confidantes including Wendy Nelson, Sean Bollettieri-Abdali and Steve Shulla.
In keeping with Nick’s larger-than-life persona...there will be three Celebrations of Life in his honor. A Celebration of Nick is scheduled for 2:00 P.M. Saturday, March 18, 2023, to be held at IMG Academy, 5650 Bollettieri Blvd, Bradenton, FL 34210. A second Celebration for Nick will be held in Vermont the first week of August. The third Celebration for Nick will take place in Capri, Italy in the fall. For more information on Nick’s Celebrations or to send a message to his family, please go to www.nickbollettieri.com. Well wishes can also be sent to the Bollettieri Family at P.O. Box 14472, Bradenton, FL 34280. Brown & Sons Funeral Homes & Crematory 43rd Street Chapel is in charge of the arrangements.
In lieu of flowers or other tributes, the Bollettieri family has requested that contributions be made to the Bollettieri Family Foundation, a charitable organization set up to continue Nick and Cindi’s desire to assist youngsters in achieving their full potential. Gifts can be mailed to P.O. Box 14472, Bradenton, FL 34280 or sent through GoFundMe, Bollettieri Family Foundation.
