In memory of Nick Bollettieri, TENNS.com proudly presents “Nick’s Notes,” an exclusive look at tips, tricks, and takes written by one of the greatest coaches of the modern era.
In this column, Bollettieri on the right time to turn pro:
It seems like yesterday when several of my full time students at the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy were turning pro in their teens. Among them were:
- Jimmy Arias – 1981—age 16—first-year earnings $18,025,
- Kathleen Horvath—1981—age 15—first-year earnings $51,768
- Carling Bassett—1983—age 15—first-year earnings $59,625
- Aaron Krickstein—1983 age 16—first-year earnings $17,000
Other notable youngsters who turned pro during that same time period were:
- Kathy Rinaldi—1981—age 14—first-year earnings $35,234
- Andrea Jaeger—1980—age 14—first0year earnings $220,296
Close your eyes and think of the following matches:
Carling Bassett at 15 (5-foot-6, 120 pounds) versus Serena Williams (age 34, 5-foot-10, 155 pounds). Or think of Kathleen Horvath at 15 (5-foot-6) versus Venus Williams (age 35, 6-foot-2). Or maybe Jimmy Arias at age 16 (5-foot-8, 140 pounds, average first serve 110 MPH) versus John Isner (6-foot-10, 245 pounds, average first serve 135 MPH). Or think of Aaron Krickstein at 16 (5-foot-10) versus Novak Djokovic.
Times have changed. If I were pinned down to one reason, I would say the game has become much more physical. The power and speed of the game has increased dramatically in all of the strokes because of the racquets, strings and physical abilities of the players today. Yes, in the 80s, players had weapons and hit their weapons hard from the middle of the court, but today weapons are hit harder and from every inch of the court. In the 80s, the biggest serves were hit at 120 mph. Today, they are hit at 140-145 mph. Second serves were hit from 75-90 mph. They are now hit from 100-125 mph. Forehands were hit from 75 to 80 mph, and are now hit from 90-100 mph.
In addition, today on the pro tours, because of the power, you cannot have a weakness in your game. Today, you cannot hide a weakness, whether it’s a weak second serve, a weak backhand, poor mobility, or being one-dimensional and only able to play defense or offense only. With the power available in the game today, your weakness will be exposed and capitalized upon.