Farewell to Robert Lansdorp, an irreplaceable mentor

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It seemed like a calm Monday until a tweet from journalist Jon Wertheim spoiled it: "Rest in peace Robert Lansdorp, one of the most underrated figures in the tennis world, as well as an architect of the baseline shot that contributed to building the game of so many top players." Just a few hours later, social media was filled with condolences and sorrow, but also with memories and gratitude towards one of the most important coaches of the late '90s and early new century. One of the few people who can boast of having trained four world number ones from scratch, although Robert Lansdorp (Semarang, 1938; Los Angeles, 2024) was much more than just that.

RIP Robert Lansdorp, such an underrated tennis figure and stroke architect, who contributed so much to so many top players' games...

— Jon Wertheim (@jon_wertheim) September 16, 2024

Let's start with the basics, the profile, although soon you will see that we are dealing with a character who truly deserves a whole book. Robert was a man with white hair, a deep voice, temperamental, tough, and a bit stingy, but also sentimental, generous, and kind. A brilliant tennis coach. He did not believe in flattery: if he praised you, it was because you deserved it. If he told you how good you were, it was because you were. He grew up in the Far East, in a Dutch colony that was conquered by the Japanese in World War II. His father, a Dutch businessman, was arrested and imprisoned in a concentration camp. After returning to the Netherlands with his family, Robert learned to play tennis. Once his father was released, the family traveled around until finally heading to their destination in 1960: the United States.

At 22, he went to university, started teaching, traveled to many places until he found his place in Los Angeles. In the mornings, he taught classes and in the afternoons, he socialized with high society figures, always showing that dual role of being a hard worker and a bohemian. In a short time, he became a highly sought-after professional because, in addition to being a great teacher, he had his own philosophy, a very specific way of thinking about the game. He was quite wary of modern reliance on tricks and spins, mainly betting on low, hard, flat shots that passed just inches over the net. A playing style that required a lot of courage, as a half-inch mistake meant you were dead. With this premise, you can imagine the type of students who passed through his hands.

THE FIRST ON THE LIST

In the middle of the '70s, when Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova were fueling the greatest rivalry that this sport had ever seen, a 16-year-old girl decided to burst onto the scene and turn everything upside down. Her name was Tracy Austin and her coach, Robert Lansdorp. Her US Open title as a minor propelled her to the top of the rankings, making her the youngest Open Era player to reach No.1 at that time. How did she achieve those goals despite her inexperience? This is where Lansdorp came into play, instilling in her a confidence that developed into a certain arrogance when facing competition. He gave her the most powerful weapon: believing she could beat anyone. You know, the chromosome all great champions have.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Adiós a Robert Lansdorp, un mentor irrepetible