Tennis is often considered a “gentleman’s” sport, but players don’t always display sportsmanship. Austrian Daniel Koellerer, a former World No. 55, was known as “Crazy Dani” for his on- and off-court antics and controversies, including criticizing top players such as Rafael Nadal. In 2011, he became the first player in history to receive a lifetime ban.
Koellerer was born on August 17, 1983, in Wels, Austria. He had a successful junior career, defeating future Top 10 players such as John Isner and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in 2001. He turned professional a year later and steadily climbed the rankings while competing on the Challenger Tour.
In 2009, he broke into the Top 100 for the first time, reaching World No. 85 after winning a Challenger event in Rome. However, that same week, his mother passed away from cancer. He dedicated the win to her. Later that year, he achieved his highest ranking of No. 55 in October.
Over eight years on tour, Koellerer became known as one of the most provocative players in tennis. According to ESPN, the ATP suspended him twice for on-court misconduct, in 2004 and 2006. The latter suspension lasted six months, but his antics didn’t end there.
He was ‘hated’ by his peers
Koellerer was involved in multiple controversies. According to We Are Tennis, he earned the nickname “Crazy Dani” after competing on the South American Challenger circuit in 2006. Journalist Kamakshi Tandon of ESPN reported that his peers were so frustrated with his behavior that they “took the unprecedented step of circulating a petition to have him thrown off the tour.” Koellerer admitted that 75 out of 80 players signed it.
According to several reports, he was once punched by the late Federico Luzzi after spitting into his palm before a post-match handshake. In 2010, Brazilian player Marcos Daniel accused him of racism, claiming he called him a “monkey” and told him to “return to his jungle.”
That same year, Austrian compatriot Stefan Koubek nearly strangled him during a national championship match, claiming Koellerer had insulted him. “All the players hate him,” Koubek told We Are Tennis. Koellerer acknowledged his bad reputation but remained indifferent: “I don’t care because I know I already changed a lot, and I will not change for any tennis player. If I change, I change for myself.“