ATP chairman Brad Drewett, an Australian former professional player, died today at age 54. The cause was motor neurone disease, colloquially known as Lou Gehrig's disease, a diagnosis that Drewett disclosed early this year. The former Top-40 singles and Top-40 doubles player suffered a condition that deteriorated rapidly, but his grace and personality and impact on the sport—and beyond that, on countless individuals who he met and worked with the world over—was obvious today, as many ATP pros and others involved in the tennis realm took to social media to speak to Drewett's character and the loss of a fine man.
"A very sad day] for the World of Sports and tennis in particular," [Rafael Nadal wrote on Facebook, catalyzing a flood of response and seemingly breaking the news. "Our president Brad has passed away. Rest in peace."
Here's a look at what many more players and others had to say today:
[View the story "Tennis World Responds to Drewett's Death" on Storify]
Do you have a lasting memory of Brad Drewett? Let it be known below.
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