The Harry Hopman Legacy: Celebrating 30 Years | Mastercard Hopman Cup 2018

There are few legacies in tennis that compare with that of Harry Hopman. And his legacy lives on to this day in the 30th staging of the Mastercard Hopman Cup.

[@swalterstennis]

I taught at Harry Hopman/Saddlebrook International Tennis, and worked with some great players. Hopman’s aura and legacy were evident through the camp and academy. While I was there such greats as Sampras, Courier, Capriati, Berasategui, Pierce, Palmer, Horvath, Gerulaitis, Purcell, Davis, Kratzman, Nestor, Matsuoka and others stopped in and trained there with our top teaching pros Timmy Thompson, Alvaro Betancur, Scott Brooke, Roland Jaeger and Jimmy Brown. We all revered Mr. Hopman and tried to give honor to his legacy by working the players hard every day.

[@anthonyquinn553]

Steve, I played at the HH SIT in '83 & '84 and Bob Butterfield was Mr Hopmans right hand man at the time. Those are some fond memories of playing & learning the game.

[@Bertfanvideo]

I was fortunate to go for a week twice. Mr. Hopman would ride his golf cart behind the courts we’d just hope and pray he wouldn’t stop on ours. He had this philosophy that if you could get to the ball outside the singles lines inside would be easy. He came out 1 time and drilled me, he had his floppy hat and little metal racquet. As he fed the balls all he said was “come on you big pig get it”. It was brutal. My other experience was I was next to Roland Jaeger court. He only had younger girls. It was torture on the court, he had get doing push-ups on their knuckles by the clay courts. Off the court they were princesses, while we had to walk everywhere he toted them around in his golf cart. Great times! Did see Horvath there, believe she had a house just around the corner from the club house. I regret not getting a picture with him. One day he was sitting inside by the pro shop he demonstrated how he taught McEnroe to hit his angled volley. Ms Hopman was the person that checked you in and gave you a meal/pro shop card.

[@swalterstennis]

Tell me more about what you saw from Roland Jaeger. He took the younger kids around in his golf cart? You said they were princesses, like he treated them like royalty off the court? I taught with Mr. Jaeger for three years and knew him as a good friend too. He asked me to spend the day and help him move when he and his wife Ilsa moves out of Saddlebrook to a house in Tampa. I taught next to him frequently and adored him like an uncle. I saw what I believe you saw. He worked the kids extremely hard on the court and then treated them awesome off the court and frequently drove them around in his Lambrageni kit car. He used to work through lunch and teach people privates, and I’m not even sure if he got paid. He was the hardest working tennis pro I ever worked with. His court would always include the tournament 10-14 year olds and some kids were afraid of him or at least didn’t appreciate it but the majority did appreciate him and revered him. I did. I never met Mr. Hopman but I believe Roland Jaeger was a second Mr. Hopman. I also taught at other world class academies like John Newcombe’s in Texas and Vermont and Burwash's in Canada and Gorin’s in California and Harry Hopman/Saddlebrook was as good as any of them. I got to train on occasion Mel Purcell, Shuzo Matsuoka, Kathleen Horvath, Helen Kelesi, Pete Sampras, Jared Palmer, Alberto Berasategui, Alexandr Dolgopolov and Mary Pierce. I wish I had video! I traveled with Jared Palmer and his father on the tour including the US Open main draw and spent training weeks with Sampras and Michael Chang. Great times. Now I make 5 times as much as I did then but I’m coaching beginners and intermediates! I used to call Hopman/Saddlebrook, “Tennis Heaven.” Best Camp/Academy ever.

[@wallyraza3419]

I love this tournament. It's so charming!!

[@kingarthurusatenniscoach1415]

I was told he was brutal training,,,, he did not know technique,,, Give me Vic Braden, GOAT,,,,,