Former tennis coach Daniel James Riggs, the grandson of legendary tennis player Bobby Riggs, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced this week.
Daniel Riggs pleaded guilty to coercing and enticing two minors to engage in sexual activity, a press release said.
He was serving as a tennis coach in Fort Lauderdale at the time the crimes were committed.
“Children and parents trust coaches with more than athletic instruction. They trust them with safety, guidance, and character,” U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones said. “This defendant abused that trust in the most disturbing way imaginable, using his position to groom and sexually exploit the very students he was supposed to mentor.
“Twenty years in federal prison reflects the seriousness of that betrayal. The Southern District of Florida will continue to pursue predators who target children and ensure they face the full weight of the law.”
According to the release, Daniel Riggs was working as a coach for Team Riggs at a Fort Lauderdale tennis center. Both of the minors were his students.
“Riggs used multiple social media accounts to communicate with the victims and engage them in sexually explicit conversations,” the release says.
The conduct occurred from 2021 to late 2024.
Bobby Riggs, who died in 1995, was ranked as the No. 1 player in the world for a portion of his career. In 1939, he won the Wimbledon Triple Crown, capturing the singles, doubles and mixed doubles titles.