ETennis is in mourning. This Saturday, January 22, William ‘Pato’ Álvarez died at his home in Barcelona at the age of 87. The Colombian coach was a reference in his way of training and the mentor of great national rackets like the brothers Emilio, Javier Sánchez Vicario, Sergio Casal, Julián Alonso, Joan Balcells, Jordi Burillo, Tomás Carbonell or Juan Albert Viloca, among others.
After being eight times champion of Colombia and defending his country in the Davis Cup, ‘Pato’, also nicknamed ‘pantera’ by his circle of friends, moved to Spain in 1970. He hung up his racket as a tennis player two years later.
There he made a great career as a technician. Players of the stature of Andy Murray, Juan Mónaco or Grigor Dimitrov passed through his hands. He always stood out for demanding maximum discipline and professionalism from all his pupils.
Court 4 of the Sánchez-Casal Academy is called Pista William Pato’ Alvarez and bears a plaque with the inscription: “Creator of the current Spanish tennis training system”.
