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By the end of 1987, Agassi was ranked No. 25 in the world; he would soar to No. 3 the next year. Courier went from No. 346 at the end of ’87 to No. 43 by December ‘88. Wheaton entered Stanford University in the fall of ’87 and turned pro the next summer. Blackman reached the finals of the National Boys’ 18s in ’88 and went on to play for two NCAA championship squads at Stanford.
Agassi earned eight Grand Slam singles titles and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2011, six years after four-time Grand Slam champion Courier. Wheaton reached a career-high ranking of No. 12 in the world. Blackman rose to No. 158 and began a coaching career while still in his 20s.
Nick Bollettieri: I’m proud most of all of how these boys became men—not just great tennis players, but even better people. Look at all the things they’ve done.
The Andre Agassi Foundation for Education, launched while Agassi was in his early 20s, has raised more than $180 million and in 2001 opened the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy. The Foundation has long been considered one of the most successful philanthropic efforts ever undertaken by an athlete.
In addition to his work as an analyst for Tennis Channel and other television networks, Courier was the U.S. Davis Cup captain for eight years and is the founder of InsideOut Sports & Entertainment, an event production company whose very name is a tip of the hat to the powerful forehand he honed at the Bollettieri Academy.
For more than 15 years, Wheaton has hosted The Christian Worldview Radio Program, a weekly one-hour program that airs on 250 stations across America. He’s also written two books, University of Destruction: Your Game Plan for Spiritual Victory on Campus and My Boy, Ben: A Story of Love, Loss, and Grace.
Blackman has been the General Manager, USTA Player Development, since June 2015, responsible for partnering with the U.S. tennis community to identify and develop the next generation of world-class American tennis players. He also worked as Senior Director of Talent Identification and Development for the USTA from 2009 to 2011.
Asked how it is to look back now at that photo and reflect on who they were and what they became:
Martin Blackman: Gratitude. Gratitude for the opportunity that Nick gave me to go after my dreams and gratitude for the great friendships that I made at the academy. I’m very proud of what Andre, Jim and David accomplished, and even more happy to see the men that they have become and how they have used their success to help others.
David Wheaton: To go a little deeper, at the time of this photo, I was resisting who God created me to be—a worshiper of Him. But God would use his time and the years that followed to bring me to my senses and understand my need to be right with Him and the peace that would result. Having a seven-year-old son now, this photo holds memories and lessons (both positive and negative) to try to pass on to him.
Jim Courier: It’s a classic shot of a wonderful time in my life and I’ve always enjoyed seeing it. It tells me that I should have gotten better haircuts. Martin was the only one who actually had that part right at the time.
Nick Bollettieri: Nick was a guy that was driven by one thing: Take a person to the level of their ability. And remember, it’s all about winning. It’s not about conversation, but about production.
