Obituary
Remembering Peter Lundgren, former High 25 participant and coach to Federer & extra
Swede gained three ATP Tour singles titles
August 23, 2024
Bongarts/Getty Pictures
Roger Federer was beneath the steering of Peter Lundgren when he gained his first main title at Wimbledon in 2003.
By ATP Workers
The tennis world mourns the lack of former World No. 25 Peter Lundgren, who has handed away on the age of 59. Within the Nineteen Eighties golden period for Swedish tennis, Lundgren was one among seven Swedes ranked within the High 25.
Lundgren notably coached Roger Federer within the Swiss icon’s early profession. It was a profitable three-year partnership that featured Federer’s first of 20 main triumphs at Wimbledon in 2003.
Lundgren’s countryman Magnus Norman, former World No. 2 wrote on social media: “R.I.P Peter Lundgren. A incredible heat and optimistic individual and on prime of {that a} magical coach has left us technique to early. A really unhappy day.”
Darren Cahill added: “An excellent man with a sort soul. A helluva coach additionally.”
As a participant, Lundgren collected three tour-level singles titles and as many in doubles. He gained 119 singles matches together with his maiden title coming in 1985 in Cologne. Two years later, Lundgren lifted trophies in Rye Brook and San Francisco. He was voted the ATP Tour’s Most Improved Participant that 12 months. In 1988, Lundgren reached the Australian Open doubles remaining alongside Briton Jeremy Bates.
When Lundgren retired aged 30, he first labored with Marcelo Rios in 1996 and helped the Chilean into the High 10. The next 12 months, Lundgren started working with juniors on the Swiss Tennis Federation.
From November 2000 till the top of 2003, Lundgren travelled full-time with Federer. Lundgren was a vital half in Federer’s younger breakthrough, guiding him to his first 11 tour-level titles.
Lundgren was in Marat Safin’s nook when the previous No. 1 clinched the 2005 Australian Open title. Lundgren additionally coached stars equivalent to Marcos Baghdatis, Grigor Dimitrov and Stan Wawrinka.
Corridor of fame tennis author Richard Evans wrote on X: “Tragic that #Swedish coach Peter Lundgren has died so younger at 59. He was highly regarded on the tour & admired as a coach. The reminiscence of a breakfast we had at Resort Diana in #Milan stays with me. The third individual on the desk was @rogerfederer who, that day, would go on to win his 1st ever @ATPTour title – the first of over 100. Peter was his coach in Roger’s important adolescence. That is an ideal legacy.”
Peter Lundgren.”>Credit score: Mike Hewitt/Getty Pictures
The next is an excerpt from Parts of Teaching Skilled Tennis, accessible on Amazon, written by Robert Davis.
Lundgren first encountered greatness on the age of 18 years outdated when he was invited to practise with Björn Borg in Stockholm. Although Borg had not too long ago retired from skilled tennis, he was nonetheless among the best gamers on this planet. As one among Sweden’s prime juniors, Lundgren acquired the decision to practise from Borg.
“Being round Björn (Borg) was so good for me,” admits Lundgren. “I might see how skilled he was together with his preparation. When it was time to heat up, we had solely 4 balls and Björn would by no means miss as soon as. Then we simply performed units. He solely needed to play units, no drills, no speaking, solely play.”
How Lundgren acquired from the small, sparsely populated metropolis of Sundsvall in northeastern Sweden, which implies town of stone, to Stockholm is a testomony to the “Swedish Tennis Miracle”. That was what the Swedish authorities referred to as the unbelievable success of males’s tennis following Björn Borg’s rise to the highest of the tennis world. Within the Nineteen Eighties, Sweden had seven gamers ranked on this planet’s prime 25.
“As a toddler, I performed ice hockey within the winter and tennis in the summertime till I used to be 13 years outdated,” remembers Lundgren. “Then I finished hockey and centered simply on tennis. I’ll have had 4 hours per week of supervised follow, the remainder was simply enjoying units. Nonetheless, to start with, after I was studying to play my membership instructor was excellent at instructing method. So, my strokes have been all the time stable and I by no means actually needed to change as I acquired older. After I turned seventeen, I needed to transfer to Stockholm if I needed to play professionally.”
Lundgren turned an expert in 1983 and rose up the world rankings in a short time. He gained his first ATP Tour occasion in Cologne in 1985. In 1987, he was voted the ATP Tour Most Improved Participant. Lundgren achieved a career-high rating of World No. 25 and gained three ATP Tour singles titles.
“Moreover all the nice Swedish gamers,” Lundgren says. “I used to be in a position to play a number of the legends like; McEnroe, Connors, and Lendl. I consider that helped me tremendously as a coach. I had seen plenty of good tennis, and I knew what it took to be nice. So, I used to be not in awe of the expertise of Marcelo (Rios), Roger (Federer), or Marat (Safin). And the identical with Marcos (Baghdatis) and Grigor (Dmitrov). It was extra like, proper, sure, you’re a excellent participant, however we have to do that and that to get to the subsequent step increased.”
One mistake that usually occurs with the coach-player relationship, is once they turn into overly acquainted and confuse kindness with weak spot.
“There comes a time in each coach and participant relationship the place the coach has to make a stand,” claims Lundgren. “Are you going to maintain quiet and take the cash? As soon as, I requested Marat (Safin), ‘Why did you rent me? Simply to throw balls at you in follow? Or to let you know what it’s essential do to enhance?’ Both the participant listens to me or I stroll. The gamers knew that if it acquired to the purpose that I mentioned that I’d stroll, I meant it. In an odd manner that gave me extra credibility with them. I consider they appreciated the honesty and the truth that I used to be simply not driving their backs for a greater life-style.”
Peter Lundgren, a former Swedish tennis star and one of many key figures in Roger Federer’s rise as his early-career coach, has died at 59. Very unhappy to listen to this. Peter was nice firm and gave a lot to the sport. I personally am very grateful for the assistance he gave me on my… pic.twitter.com/ldjx4DYjnp
— Christopher Clarey 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 🇪🇸 (@christophclarey) August 23, 2024
R.I.P Peter Lundgren. A incredible heat and optimistic individual and on prime of {that a} magical coach has left us technique to early 💔 A really unhappy day
— Magnus Norman (@normansweden) August 23, 2024
Certainly a really unhappy day for tennis 🎾!Peter Lundgren, among the best coaches in tennis has handed away …My condolences to his 2 youngsters and household!RIP Peter https://t.co/COhirk3krz
— Boris Becker (@TheBorisBecker) August 23, 2024
RIP Peter 😔An excellent man with a sort soul. A helluva coach additionally. #PeterLundgren 🇸🇪 pic.twitter.com/mnQNz8Wh5S
— Darren Cahill (@darren_cahill) August 23, 2024
