Universally adored coach Anthony Richardson, who shaped the careers of many well-known players, leaves a rich legacy in Australian tennis.
Queensland, Australia, 3 January 2023 | Tennis Australia
As coaches, players and the many people he impacted within the tennis community reflect on the tremendous legacy of Anthony Richardson, there is universal agreement.
Richardson, who has passed away in Brisbane at age 43 after a lengthy battle with melanoma, was not only one of the best professional coaches in the game’s global network, but also one of its finest people.
From his start as a part-time coach at age 15 – fittingly, alongside his own junior coach, Ken Hick, who coached Anthony, as well as his sister Kim and brother Grant, in his birth town of Gladstone, Central Queensland – Richardson embarked on a tennis journey that took him throughout the world and in turn shaped the careers of many Australian players.
Hick, who maintained a life-long friendship with Richardson and his family, described his former charge as “a very special person who had no enemies, was an outstanding coach, great family, awesome friend and just a fair dinkum good bloke.”
A state coach with Tennis Queensland, Richardson was also a Metropolitan Coach at the NSW Institute of Sport and working with Wally Masur, he became NSW Athlete Development Manager. After a stint as Head Coach at Griffiths University, Richardson returned to Tennis Queensland.
Most recently, Richardson was a foundation coach at the Tennis Australia National Tennis Academy (NTA), which opened in Brisbane in July 2020.
Chris Mahony, Head of the NTA, noted the many qualities that made Richardson universally loved throughout the tennis community. “There’s too many to list but his authenticity, genuineness, kindness, thoughtfulness, loyalty, sense of humour, and positive outlook on life are a few that quickly come to mind,” said Mahony of the Queenslander, who was fondly known as “Richo”.
Mark Draper, both a close friend and colleague of Richardson at the NTA, agrees. “Whoever meets him saw his warm, caring spirit and engaging smile right away, which made that person feel comfortable and welcomed,” Draper said.
“And then once you got to know him, you saw him bring this kindness and warmth daily. He was humble, cared deeply about his players and his fellow coaches and staff and would go the extra mile to do what he could for tennis, and everyone…
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