Nikola Pilić, the Croatian tennis icon who captained multiple Davis Cup-winning teams and played a pivotal role as an early mentor to Novak Djokovic, has died at the age of 87, the Croatian Tennis Association announced Tuesday.
Described as “one of the greatest players and coaches Croatian tennis has ever produced,” Pilić passed away on Monday in the western town of Opatija, according to the association’s statement.
Pilić began his tennis career in Split in 1953 and, by 1957, was representing the Yugoslav youth national team. Throughout his playing career, he won the Yugoslav Championship five times in singles (1962, 1963, 1964, 1966, and 1967), seven times in doubles, and once in mixed doubles.
His most notable individual achievement came in 1973 when he reached the final of the French Open, where he was runner-up to Ilie Năstase. Pilić also captured the US Open doubles title in 1970 alongside partner Pierre Barthès.
Following his retirement from professional play, Pilić embarked on a distinguished coaching career, mentoring tennis greats including Goran Ivanišević, Michael Stich, and Boris Becker. He had a profound influence on Novak Djokovic, whom he regarded as his “tennis son.”
In 1999, Djokovic’s first coach Jelena Genčić sent the young star to train at Pilić’s academy in Munich, where his game developed further.
“Nikola ‘Niki’ Pilić will be remembered as the only captain to have led three different nations to Davis Cup titles,” the Croatian Tennis Association said. Pilić guided Germany to victory in 1988, 1989, and 1993, Croatia in 2005, and Serbia in 2010.
In recognition of his contributions, Pilić was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Croatian Tennis Association in 2019, and in 2020, Serbia awarded him the Gold Medal of Merit for his outstanding service to sport.
AFP
