After a lengthy battle with Type 2 diabetes, which forced a left foot amputation last year, former tennis coach and player Peter Lundgren passed away last Friday. He was 59. The Swede is best known for coaching Roger Federer in his early years as a professional player.
His sons, Lukas and Julian, shared the terrible news of their father’s demise on Facebook and he wrote:
“Rest in peace Dad. One of the best has unfortunately left us far too soon. A coach, player, friend and father. An inspiration and helping hand for many, both on and off the court. The imprint you made and the memories will always live on.”
Lundgren left his imprint on the sport as a player and a coach. He was born in Kramfors, Sweden on January 26, 1965. Till the age of 13, he played ice hockey and tennis, the former in winter and the latter in summer. However, he later decided to focus on tennis.
By the time he was 18, he was one of Sweden’s best junior talents. He was invited to Stockholm to practice with Swedish tennis legend Björn Borg. He had a decent career as a professional, winning three singles titles and three double events.
Lundgren surprisingly decided to call it a day on his career in 1995 at the age of 30. He pivoted to coaching, which became the thing he was most revered for. He helped Federer transition from a talented youngster to the best player in the world.
The Swiss superstar was under the Swede’s tutelage from November 2000 to December 2003. During their time together, he won 10 ATP titles and his first Grand Slam at the 2003 Wimbledon.
Lundgren was outspoken and did not shy away from talking about Federer’s lethargic attitude, fitness, and work ethic in his early years as a pro. In an interview with TenisBrasil, he said,
“It is never easy to work with a tennis player, but at the time Roger was a very talented young man, only lazy. He had some problems to concentrate, besides that he was not physically on point.”
After parting ways with the 20-time Grand Slam champion, he worked with Marat Safin and helped the Russian win the 2005 Australian Open, his second and last Grand Slam win. Lundgren also coached stars like Stan Wawrinka and Grigor Dimitrov.
Lundgren was a strict coach and did not allow his players to be content about their skill level. In the book ‘Elements of Coaching Professional Tennis,’ author Robert Davis quoted the Swedish coach, who said,
“I was not in awe of the talent of Marcelo [Rios], Roger [Federer], or Marat [Safin]. And the same with Marcos [Baghdatis] and Grigor [Dimitrov]. It was more like, right, yes, you are a very good player, but we need to do this and that to get to the next step higher,” said the former world number 25.”
Lundgren’s personality wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but his ability to help players elevate their game was exemplary. He is a tennis icon and his legacy will live on forever.
