Nick’s Notes: Is luck a real thing in tennis?

WATCH: Remember the life and legacy of Nick Bollettieri, one of the sport's greatest coaches and pioneer of tennis academies, after opening Bollettieri Tennis Academy in 1978.

In memory of Nick Bollettieri, TENNIS.com proudly presents “Nick’s Notes,” an exclusive look at tips, tricks, and takes written by one of the greatest coaches of the modern era.

Today, Nick talks luck:

General David Petraeus, one of America’s greatest military minds, was quoted as saying that “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”

Benjamin Franklin said, “Diligence is the mother of good luck.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Shallow men believe in luck. Strong men believe in cause and effect.”

Serena Williams, arguably the greatest women's tennis player in history, said, “Luck has nothing to do with it, because I have spent many, many hours, countless hours, on the court working for my one moment in time, not knowing when it would come.”

Michael Jordan, one of the finest basketball geniuses ever to live, said, “I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.

Some of the brightest, most talented and respected people claim that luck is not a simple stroke of good fortune. Instead, it is the result of intention, determination and being prepared when the opportunity arises. So, why do so many of my “so-called friends” insist that I’ve been lucky?

I studied the game of tennis. I had the courage to dream of a better way to develop tennis players. I generated millions of dollars to create the first live-in tennis academy in the world. I’ve failed time and again, but I never gave up. Success was undeniable….inevitable!

No, I never counted on luck to improve the quality of my life. I was always ready for the next opportunity to reinvent itself.