Carlos Eduardo Goffi Jr.

Carlos Eduardo Goffi, Jr., 73, of Blythewood, died on May 11, 2026. Born on November 10, 1952, in São Paulo, Brazil, he was the son of Carlos Eduardo Magalhães Goffi, Sr. and Ruth Cezar.

Carlos began playing tennis at the age of five at the Tennis Club of São Paulo, where his father served as President. After a successful junior career representing Brazil in international tournaments including the South American Championships, Orange Bowl, Wimbledon, and Galea Cup, he became one of the pioneer student athletes from Brazil to attend college in the United States, playing tennis for the University of Corpus Christi and the University of Kansas.

In 1975, on the recommendation of his mentor, Harry Hopman, Carlos began his coaching career at the Port Washington Tennis Academy in New York, where he became Junior Program Director and worked closely with the Academy’s top juniors including John McEnroe, Peter Fleming and Mary Carillo. He then went on to coach John and Patrick McEnroe on the ATP Tour. In 1984, while John was the world’s #1 player, Carlos published his international bestseller Tournament Tough: A Guide to Junior Championship Tennis, with commentary by John McEnroe. The book was the first of its kind emphasizing the psychology of the game over technique, and remains a foundational text in junior tennis development today.

Over a 50-year career, Carlos shaped the sport at every level. He developed the Tournament Tough methodology and ran his tennis camps for 40 years, published Junior Tennis magazine, and led a nationwide tour of Tournament Tough Player/Parent Workshops sponsored by Nike, Dunlop, Ray-Ban, and the USTA. He was a keynote speaker at international tennis conferences hosted by the USTA, USPTA/PTR, and ITF, and was voted Coach of the Year by his peers in 1991. He operated and directed the tennis programs at some of the world’s most respected clubs and resorts, including the Tennis Complex at Walt Disney World’s ESPN Wide World of Sports where he hosted Prince Harry’s Invictus Games, Orange Lawn Tennis Club in New Jersey, and Seabrook Island in South Carolina, where he and Peter Fleming developed the program into one of the top tennis resort destinations in the country. He also directed Tennis Promotions for Dunlop Slazenger and helped launch Tennis Marketing for Nike in Latin America. In 2024, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Global Professional Tennis Coach Association (GPTCA).

But the accolades only tell part of the story. Carlos was a coach in the truest sense of the word…someone who believed in people, often before they believed in themselves. He had a rare gift for seeing what someone could become and then helping them get there. That gift extended far beyond the tennis court, shaping not only champions but generations of coaches, parents, and players who carried his methodology and his spirit into their own lives. His influence, in his own quiet way, reached millions.

He was also a husband, a father, a brother, a son, a friend, a mentor and a connector of people across continents. He loved Brazil and his family there fiercely, his horse La Fe of over twenty years, his children and grandchildren, and the game of tennis until his very last day.

Carlos is survived by his wife of 26 years, Susan Williams Goffi; his daughter, Jordan Parker (Jeremy); his son, Josh Goffi (Nancy); his grandchildren, Eliana and Clara Goffi; his mother, Ruth Cezar Goffi; his sister, Marcia Goffi; first wife and the mother of his children, Jeanne Veatch Bragdon; and a large extended family in Brazil.

He was preceded in death by his father, Carlos Eduardo Magalhães Goffi, Sr.; his sister, Fernanda (“Nanda”) Goffi; and his aunts, Maria Helena Goffi and Diva Goffi.

In keeping with his wishes, Carlos will be cremated and there will be no funeral service. A celebration of life will be planned at a future date to allow his family and friends from around the world time to gather and honor the extraordinary life he led. He was a connector, and gathering together to share stories, photos, and memories feels like the truest way to honor him and keep the connection alive. Stay tuned for details.

In lieu of funeral home flowers, the family has established the Carlos Goffi Tournament Tough Legacy Fund to honor his lifelong commitment to shaping the next generation of tennis players. Initial goals for the fund include publishing his final tennis book and naming a tennis court in his honor, with additional legacy projects to be announced as the fund grows. To contribute, please click here.

Shives Funeral Home, Trenholm Road Chapel, is assisting the family.