Roger Federer’s former coach, Peter Lundgren, has passed away at the age of 59, as confirmed by a statement released by his children. The Swedish coach played a pivotal role in Federer’s early career, guiding him to his first Grand Slam victory at the 2003 Wimbledon Championships. Lundgren had been battling diabetes, and last year, he underwent an amputation of his left foot and lower leg after sustaining a fracture. On August 23, his children, Lukas and Julian, shared the news of his death through a heartfelt message on Facebook.
“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,” they wrote in tribute.
Lundgren was a notable player in the 1980s and 90s, reaching a career-high ranking of World No. 25 in 1987. He was part of a generation of Swedish tennis players who gained prominence following the success of Bjorn Borg, alongside stars like Mats Wilander and Stefan Edberg.
After winning three ATP titles during his playing career, Lundgren transitioned into coaching. He initially helped Marcelo Ríos break into the top 10 before moving on to work with the Swiss Tennis Federation, where he met Federer. Lundgren coached Federer from 2000, helping him secure his first ATP singles title in 2001 and his first Wimbledon title in 2003.
In a May 2023 interview with Blick, Lundgren reflected on the challenges of coaching Federer in the beginning, noting that the young Swiss player had a fiery temper. “It wasn’t easy with him at first. He had a lot of temper and showed it too often in matches. But he quickly realized that he had to change,” Lundgren said. He also praised Federer for being a quick learner and expressed how much he enjoyed their time together. “He learned extremely quickly and always found a way to solve problems. When he won Wimbledon for the first time in 2003, I was incredibly happy for him. It was nice to see him take that step. I enjoyed the time with him,” Lundgren added.
Lundgren and Federer parted ways in 2003, after which the Swedish coach guided Marat Safin to victory at the 2005 Australian Open. Over the years, Lundgren also coached the British Davis Cup team and worked with players like Marcos Baghdatis, Grigor Dimitrov, and Stanislas Wawrinka before returning to Sweden in 2020.
