Written by Madison Meli
Bruno Agostinelli Jr. was a professional Italian-Canadian tennis player who was born in Niagara Falls, Ontario on April 1, 1987 (Niagara Falls Public Library 2016). Raised in the Niagara Region by his parents, Agostinelli started playing tennis at the age of six at the White Oaks Tennis Club (Agostinelli 2020). With his father as his tennis coach, Agostinelli trained daily, which would eventually led him to remarkable success in future tennis opportunities (Agostinelli 2020). Bruno went on to becoming the captain of the University of Kentucky men’s tennis team, ranked second in Singles for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), named the Top University Male Athlete, and would go on to play in the Davis and Rogers Cup in 2009 for Canada (Agostinelli 2020). Along with these accomplishments, Agostinelli won multiple national and provincial junior championships and became a professional tennis coach for Tennis Canada’s Under 14 Players National Junior team (Agostinelli 2020). Unfortunately, on March 9, 2016, Agostinelli passed away in a tragic motorcycle accident at the age of 28 (The Canadian Press 2016). Therefore, to demonstrate Agostinelli’s contributions to tennis, this poster will investigate the legacy he continues to produce through his family; the athletes he coached, Bruno Agostinelli Jr. and his impact on the Niagara Region. We will explore his Italian heritage and how this affected his initiation into tennis and how tennis created a relationship between his father and brother.
The methodology used to discover Agostinelli’s national legacy in terms of his athletes, family, and local recognition includes online archives and photographs. To investigate his impact on fellow Canadian tennis stars like Denis Shapovalov, interviews, and photographs published by Tennis Canada demonstrate Agostinelli’s impact on the athletes he coached. Moreover, local and national newspaper publishers such as the CBC, and sports archives found from BPSN reveal the tennis star’s influence on his community. Thus, to establish what influences he had on the Niagara Region, this project will implement archives of memorial sites like his Niagara Falls Hall of Fame Plaque, and the Bruno Agostinelli Futures Tennis Tournament hosted by White Oaks Tennis Club. An article written by Agostinelli’s brother, Gianluca Agostinelli, will be referenced to represent his thoughts about continuing the tennis star’s legacy. Lastly, an oral history constructed by Teresa Russo with Bruno Agostinelli will be used to describe Agostinelli’s Italian heritage and how this impacted his early start to tennis.
The article “Strings Attached” written by Gianluca Agostinelli provides readers with insight about Bruno Agostinelli’s childhood, success on the tennis court, and his tragic death. Nonetheless, this story is told from a familial perspective, as his brother informs Agostinelli’s fans about the influence Bruno had on his life including playing tennis and finding peace following his death. For example, Agostinelli mentions how inspirational his brother was, stating that his “work ethic was exemplary” (Agostinelli 2020) and how modest yet focused Agostinelli was on and off the court (Agostinelli 2020). He also suggests how committed he was to honour his brother’s life, to ensure that his legacy would continue to be cherished by individuals whose lives he changed (Agostinelli 2020). To carry on his legacy therefore, Agostinelli (2020) ensured that his brother was recognized by creating charity tennis tournaments, naming a tennis court in
his honour, and playing the sport his brother loved most. Figures 1 and 3 reveal Agostinelli’s contribution to his brother’s legacy, as these archives provide evidence of the tennis star’s regional recognition.
Agostinelli became a tennis coach after playing professionally for Tennis Canada’s Under 14 Players National Junior team and one of Canada’s top stars, Denis Shapovalov (Agostinelli 2020; Tennis Canada 2019). Shapovalov honoured his late coach after his win against Steve Johnson in the Indian Wells Masters Tournament (Tennis Canada 2019). Considered one of Tennis Canada’s Top Three Most Touching Moments of 2019, Shapovalov is captured in Figure 4 pointing to the sky to express his thankfulness for Agostinelli (Tennis Canada 2019). In a post-match interview, he expresses how Agostinelli supported his training and was a role model to him (Shapovalov 2019). He also stated that after Agostinelli’s accident he wished that “he was around to see how far [he has] come and [he hopes that] he would have been proud of [him]” (Shapovalov 2019, 4:49-4:59). This statement along with his actions reveal that Shapovalov idolized Agostinelli and how important he was to his tennis career. With Agostinelli’s dedication to Tennis Canada and coaching young rising stars, his work ethic and support is evident in his players’ remarks and performance on the court. Nonetheless, the CEO of Tennis Canada, Kelly Murumets, explained how much of an amazing person Agostinelli was, as he was humble and passionate about his career and the sport (The Canadian Press 2016). Thus, these statements prove how his legacy continues to flourish through his players and the words people use to describe his impact on tennis.
Evidently, Agostinelli had an immense amount of influence on his local community, as multiple news outlets wrote articles about his tragic death and the legacy he left behind. For national and regional recognition, articles published by TSN recognized Agostinelli’s death with statements made by fellow players, colleagues and sports fans paying tribute. Niagara Falls has honoured Agostinelli through the Niagara Falls Sports Hall of Fame, a tournament founded in his name, as well as a local memorial tennis court. For example, a newly renovated tennis court in Riverview Park is named after the local tennis star (Potrecz 2018). Frank Dancevic, a dear friend and fellow athlete, revealed how the memorial court helps keep Bruno’s memory alive for those who loved him and to continue his legacy at regional level (Potrecz 2018). In addition, a memorial tennis tournament called Bruno Agostinelli’s Futures tournament hosts professional players across the nation who compete in honour of Agostinelli (Greco 2018). With over 64 single players and 34 teams in 2018, Gianluca Agostinelli credits the tournament’s success to not only the venue; but the tribute to Agostinelli (Puchalski 2018). Thus, memorials to Agostinelli clearly reveal his impact on the Niagara Region as well as Canada, as multiple individuals in the tennis community continue to attend tributes and honour his legacy after his passing.
With information about Agostinelli’s legacy and how he was a great mentor to many Canadian athletes, it is important to discuss where his passion for tennis all started. In Teresa Russo’s (2020) Oral History with Gianluca Agostinelli, he provides insight on how playing tennis at an early age was somewhat of a struggle for his brother and himself due to immigration. Since his mother and father immigrated from Italy to Canada, Agostinelli states that “we didn’t have a lot of money growing up… but we appreciated everything that we did have although that made competing in the tennis circuit a little more difficult” (Russo 2020). This statement reveals the challenges many immigrant families face when moving to another country for a better life, as language barriers, economic status, and other factors affect immigrants from seeking maximum opportunities.
Despite the monetary issues the Agostinelli’s faced, their passion for tennis and familial bond led to their continuation in the sport. For example, Agostinelli (Russo 2020) expresses how his father not only drove him and his brother to their tennis games, but also coached and helped them develop their game. These statements demonstrate how an immigrant family built a relationship through tennis and continued to participate in their passion, despite any setbacks. This oral story, therefore, discloses how an individual from a lower status home became a renowned and respected tennis star. Even though Agostinelli grew up in an Italian immigrant home, he was still capable of reaching the big leagues through his hard work, passion, and talent. Thus, this brings enlightenment to immigrant children who might look up to stars like Agostinelli in pursuing their own dreams and understanding that anyone can achieve success.
Therefore, Agostinelli’s contributions to tennis at a national and provincial level have left a legacy that continues to be recognized through his family, athletes, and regional memorial tournaments and tennis court tributes. Having a few archives concerning Agostinelli’s childhood along with his achievements, it was easy to discover how great of a player and coach Agostinelli was.
Agostinelli has influenced tennis through his coaching, playing, and overall work ethic. With individuals who can carry on his legacy, Agostinelli will continue to be a name to remember in Canada’s tennis scene. An oral history of his childhood demonstrated how an Italian immigrant family bonded over a passion for tennis, and that despite some financial setbacks, they continued to pursue what they loved. Since it was challenging to find information about his Italian heritage like his parents’ immigration story, it would be interesting to further investigate Agostinelli’s stories of immigration and cultural traditions. These stories can bring more awareness to Italian-Canadian athletes and discover new archives that support their upbringings and success in the sport.
Bibliography
Agostinelli, Gianluca. “Strings Attached. Ontario Tennis Association. 2020. http://ontennis.ca/articles/2020/StringsAttached.html.
BNP Paribas Open. “Personal Interview of Denis Shapovalov Post-Match Press Conference at BNP Paribas Open.” 10 March 2019. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuehMSw6Dhs&t=282s.
“Former Canadian Davis Cup Player Agostinelli Jr. Dead at 28.” The Canadian Press/Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), 10 March 2016. Press Release, https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/headlines/bruno-agostinelli-jr-former-niagara-falls-tennis-star-dies-at-28-1.3486673.
Greco, Julie. “Bruno Agostinelli Men’s Future’s Event to Be Held Sept. 1-9.” Inside Niagara College (Niagara Falls), 23 August 2018. https://www.niagaracollege.ca/insidenc/2018/08/23/bruno-agostinelli-mens-mens-futures-event-to-be-held-sept-1-9/.
Niagara Falls Virtual Sports Wall of Fame collected by Niagara Falls Public Library Digital Collections, Digital Image, 24 January 2016, Record ID 415387, Agostinelli, Bruno, https://www.nflibrary.ca/nfplindex/show.asp?id=415387.
Potrecz, Bill. “Agostinelli, Jr. Fondly Remembered.” BP Sports Niagara (BPSN) (Niagara Falls), 8 September 2018. https://www.bpsportsniagara.com/agostinelli-jr-fondly-remembered/.
Bruno Agostinelli Jr. Puchalski, Bernie. “Remembering Bruno Agostinelli Jr.” BP Sports Niagara (BPSN) (Niagara Falls), 6 September 2018. https://www.bpsportsniagara.com/remembering-bruno-agostinelli-jr/.
Russo, Teresa with Matthew Kapogines. “Starting at Love: (Re)Discovering Tennis as a Lifelong Sport — A Tennis Story with Gianluca Agostinelli.” Center for Sport Capacity (CSC) and Department of Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures (MLLC) at Brock University, 2 December 2020. ARICIC, issue 3: Oral Histories, April 2021, https://www.italianheritage.ca/list-of-projects/immigration-in-the-niagra-peninsula-st-catharines/oral-histories-traditional-and-poetic-forms/.
“Tennis Canada’s 2019 Fan Gala: Most Touching Moment of the Year.” Tennis Canada, 16 December 2019. https://www.tenniscanada.com/news/tennis-canadas-2019-fan-gala-most-touching-moment-of-the-year.
How to cite this page:
MLA STYLE: Author. “Title.” Title of container, Other contributors, Number (vol. and/or no.), Publisher, Publication Date, Location (pages, paragraphs and/or URL, DOI or permalink). 2nd container’s title, Other contributors.
Meli, Madison. ” Bruno Agostinelli Jr.: His Legacy in the Sport of Tennis.” In Archival Research of Italian-Canadian Immigration and Culture, supvr. T. Russo, issue 4: Sports in Italian-Canadian Communities, Brock University, December 2022, St. Catherines (Sports in Italian-Canadian Communities – Italian-Canadian Narratives Showcase (italianheritage.ca)). Italian-Canadian Narratives Showcase (ICNS), Sandra Parmegiani and Nivashinee Ponambalum.