SARASOTA — Nick Bollettieri would have loved it.
Pun intended.
The legendary tennis instructor and founder of the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy, the forerunner to the IMG Academy, died in 2022 at 91, but his memory and life accomplishments will endure through a display case unveiled Wednesday at the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport.
Approximately 40 of Bollettieri’s friends and associates attended the unveiling on the airport’s first floor, including an ex-pupil, former professional Tommy Haas, who left Germany at 13 to live and train at the NBTA, all free of charge, through an invitation from Bollettieri.
Tennis legend: Manatee County’s Nick Bollettieri, who coached tennis’ Williams sisters and Andre Agassi, dies at 91
“He was a pioneer,” said the 46-year-old Haas, who retired in 2018 after a 23-year career on the ATP Tour. “He was so open-hearted in trying to give everyone a chance to pursue their dream. He opened up his arms to me and said, ‘Come to the Academy and I’ll help you as much as I can. We’ll give you the best opportunity to pursue your dreams,’ which I knew, at age 7, that I wanted to become a tennis professional.”