Roger Federer's former tennis coach dead at 59: Peter Lundgren's family pay tribute to man who steered legendary Swiss star to his first Wimbledon title
- Peter Lundgren coached a number of tennis players after hanging up his racket
- He memorably led Roger Federer to his first Grand Slam at Wimbledon in 2003
- His son and daughter confirmed his passing with a touching social media tribute
Roger Federer's former tennis coach Peter Lundgren has died aged 59.
The Swede reached world No 25 during his playing career and steered the legendary Federer to his first Grand Slam at Wimbledon in 2003 after taking up coaching.
According to The Express, he suffered from diabetes before his death.
Lundgren's son Lukas and daughter Julia confirmed his passing on social media.
Paying a touching tribute on Facebook, they wrote: 'Rest in peace, Dad. One of the best has unfortunately left us far too soon.
Roger Federer's former tennis coach Peter Lundgren (top left) has died aged 59
Lundgren's passing was confirmed by his son Lukas and daughter Julia on social media
'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.'
Lundgren also coached the likes of Stan Wawrinka and Marat Safin, both Grand Slam winners, as well as Grigor Dimitrov, Marcelo Rios and Marcos Baghdatis.
He returned to Sweden in 2020.
Bjorn Borg, an 11-time Grand Slam champion, has also paid tribute to his countryman.
'Peter Lundgren was a wonderful person with a big heart and a lot of humour,' Borg told Swedish outlet Sportbladet. 'He was a really good friend.
'He was loved by all. He will be missed in the tennis world.'
Lundgren was forced to undergo a left foot and lower left leg amputation in October last year after suffering a nasty break and contracting an infection.
Speaking on social media after the incident, he said: 'Unfortunately, I had to amputate my foot and a bit up because of the infection I had.
'My broken ankle did not heal because of my type two diabetes, you get bad circulation. But now I feel well again and soon my rehab will begin.
He is pictured alongside Federer's wife Miroslava during his Wimbledon triumph in 2003
Lundgren is believed to have suffered from diabetes and required an amputation last year
'I want to thank everyone for the nice words I got from all of you on FB! It really helps now for me to recover and to go through the rehabilitation and more!
'Time to fight.'
During his playing days, Lundgren's best Grand Slam run came in 1989 when he reached the fourth round at Wimbledon before losing to Ivan Lendl.
