He helped Roger Federer win his first Grand Slam title: Former Swedish ATP professional and tennis coach Peter Lundgren has died at the age of just 59. The Swedish Tennis Association announced this in a post on Instagram, confirming media reports and information from Lundgren’s children Lukas and Julia on Facebook. The association paid tribute to him, saying that Lundgren was one of the Swedish tennis stars of the 1980s, when the country enjoyed great success all over the world.
Lundgren will be remembered especially as a coach. He worked with players such as Marcelo Rios, Marat Safin and Stan Wawrinka and helped Federer, who was only 22 at the time, win his first Wimbledon title in 2003. As a player, he himself had reached number 25 in the world rankings and won three ATP tournaments in Cologne, New York and San Francisco.
“Peter Lundgren was a wonderful person with a big heart and a lot of humor,” said Swedish tennis legend Björn Borg, 68, to SportbladetHe was “a really good friend,” said Borg. “He was loved by everyone. He will be missed in the tennis world.”