The Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy: A late twentieth-century history of tennis, youth specialization, and entrepreneurship

摘要

In the extensively researched field of sports history, tennis has been relatively understudied. Additionally, in the history of modern tennis, the contributions of Nick Bollettieri to the current game have been ignored. This study focuses on the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy as a center of extreme training for child tennis players. The formation of the Academy in 1978 occurred at a unique time in American and tennis history, as several factors contributed to the successful enrollment of children to Bollettieri\u27s military-style approach to teaching. Additionally, Bollettieri\u27s unique tennis strategy, which emphasized power over finesse, created athletes that succeeded at all levels of tennis. The unique time that the Academy opened in addition to the unique style taught to students made Bollettieri\u27s athletes some of the most successful players in tennis history. Their success changed tennis forever and marked the introduction of the modern game: a game that focuses primarily on power. With ten world number one players and numerous major tournaments won, Nick Bollettieri should be recognized as the most successful tennis coach in history.