Nick Bollettieri Inducted into ITA Hall of Fame

On Thursday, Nick Bollettieri was inducted into the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Hall of Fame for his contributions to men’s college tennis. The 2017 ITA Men’s Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame Enshrinement Banquet was held at the Georgia Center during the NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Championships, May 18-29, at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia. Bollettieri was joined by Bill Otta (Saddlebrook College), Francis Baxter (University of Central Oklahoma), Matias Booker (University of Georgia) and James Blake (Harvard University) in the class of 2017.

Bollettieri graduated from Spring Hill College in Mobile, Ala., in 1953, where he also played as a member of the Badgers men’s tennis team. The Pelham, New York native would go on to establish the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy (NBTA), which was purchased by IMG in 1987 and evolved into IMG Academy. Since 1978, Bollettieri has not only coached 10 world no. 1 ranked players, but guided the development of hundreds of successful collegiate players. Many of his former players went on to become ITA National Champions, including players like David Wheaton (Stanford) and Cecil Mammit (USC). His coaching protégées include over 25 former players who have gone on to become college coaches at various levels, including Carlos Drada (Kentucky women, 2006-present), Cedric Kauffman (Kentucky men, 2012-present) and Chris Garner (Amherst). He hosted the initial planning session of key ITA coaches in 1979 at The Colony in Longwood Key, Florida that led to the forming of the ITA Board of Directors.

Beyond his outstanding work on the court, Bollettieri has always been active in efforts to support the growth of the game and to engage children with tennis to show them that discipline and hard work can provide opportunities through the sport. In addition, he is active with numerous organizations that have worked to engage underprivileged youth with the sport. With his friend, Hall of Famer Arthur Ashe, Bollettieri founded the Ashe-Bollettieri Cities Tennis program, launched in Newark, New Jersey in the late 1980s. The program introduced thousands of youth to the sport and helped hundreds achieve athletic or academic scholarships. The program was reproduced in other cities, and became known as the Arthur Ashe Safe Passage Foundation. It continues to grow today, under the management of the USTA. Bollettieri also sits on the Board of Directors for Inner City Tennis, which uses tennis as a platform to teach responsibility, respect, teamwork and other character building elements.

In 2014, Bollettieri was inducted in the International Tennis Hall of Fame for his contributions to the game. He has also been inducted into the Tennis Industry Hall of Game (2012) and USPTA Hall of Fame (2013).

At age 85, Bollettieri is still coaching, and traveling around the world as an ambassador for the game. He was named an ambassador for the game of tennis by the United Nations in 2016.

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