Nick Bollettieri Dies at 91; Tennis Legend Coached Serena Williams and More Stars

Legendary tennis coach Nick Bollettieri died Sunday at age 91.

His manager, Steve Shulla, confirmed the news to the Associated Press, noting Bollettieri had a series of health issues.

"When he became sick, he got so many wonderful messages from former students and players and coaches. Many came to visit him. He got videos from others," Shulla said. "It was wonderful. He touched so many lives, and he had a great send-off."

The coach is best known for creating the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in 1978, which later became IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.

Through the academy and his coaching, Bollettieri helped develop several of the biggest stars in tennis history, including Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Andre Agassi, Monica Seles, Boris Becker, Jim Courier and Maria Sharapova.

Each of these players became the No. 1 in the world rankings at some point, while Serena Williams' 23 Grand Slam titles are the second most in history. Agassi was the second man to win a career Grand Slam and earned eight titles overall in his career.

"Tennis wouldn’t be where it is today without Nick’s influence," IMG Academy director of tennis Jimmy Arias said. "His tennis academy, which I had the privilege of growing up within, not only served as a launching pad for many tennis greats but evolved into an institution that has had a profound impact on the development of athletes across many sports at all levels."

In 2014, Bollettieri became the fourth coach inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.