Coroner rules on death of tennis player who collapsed during match

The Clark County coroner’s office ruled Friday that a tennis player who collapsed and died on a Summerlin court had heart disease.

Ryan Vannah, 43, was in the tiebreaker of a mixed doubles tennis match on Jan. 29 at Red Rock Country Club when he dropped to a knee. He died later that evening at Summerlin Hospital and Medical Center.

The coroner’s office ruled that Vannah died from hypertensive heart disease, and his manner of death was natural.

His sister, Tami Vannah Kang, said last month that the family had a history of high blood pressure, but her younger brother never showed any signs he was not managing his health.

“He took impeccable care of his health,” she said in a January interview. “He was so fit. He lifted weights. He looked like a bodybuilder to me. He was huge. We did not see this coming.”

Ryan Vannah devoted the last two years of his life to tennis, his family said. He taught children the sport at local elementary schools, strung other players’ rackets for extra cash and practiced at Red Rock, Darling Tennis Center and Life Time in Henderson.

A tournament in his honor is scheduled for 6 p.m. March 20 at the Darling Tennis Center.

Contact Sabrina Schnur at sschnur@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0278. Follow @sabrina_schnur on Twitter.