The world of tennis mourns Robert Lansdorp, a historic coach who has died at the age of 85. Lansdorp trained some of the legends of our beloved tennis, including Pete Sampras, Maria Sharapova, Tracey Austin and Lindsay Davenport.
ADVERTISEMENT
Speaking about him in an interview some time ago, the 14-time Grand Slam winner Sampras said: "Robert has been a big part of my success. You know he'll make you tougher, he'll make you stronger, he'll make you mentally tough."
Also Sharapova spoke of her former coach and the torture he inflicted during practice, in a passage in her book: "There was a purpose to all that torture. Everything was done in the service of a philosophy. Every exercise had a reason, it took the player somewhere."
Davenport reported in a 2013 interview: "We were very close. He was really kind to me. He was like a second father to me."
Born in the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia), Lansdorp settled in California but was born in Indonesia, which at the time was called the Dutch East Indies. In 1979, his player Tracy Austin became the youngest US Open women's singles champion, at the age of 16. Later, in addition to Sampras, Davenport and Sharapova, Robert also followed Eugenie Bouchard and Julia Boserup.
Lansdorp received the USTA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005 and was honored as a Team USA Coaching Legend alongside Nick Bollettieri, Jerry Baskin, and Jack Sharpe at the 2013 Team USA Coaching Legend Inaugural Reception in Indian Wells, California.
ADVERTISEMENT
One of the most memorable moments of his career came in 2004, when Lansdorp said, "I've never received anything from a player. Not even a $500 gift. They're all multimillionaires, but I've never received anything. And I tell you, if Maria doesn't put a Mercedes convertible in my driveway, I'm going to shoot myself!"
