Djokovic’s mentor Nikola Pilic dies at 87

Croatian tennis legend Nikola Pilic, mentor to Novak Djokovic and a former Davis Cup-winning captain for three nations, has passed away at the age of 87, the Croatian Tennis Association confirmed on Tuesday.

Pilic, hailed as “one of the greatest players and coaches Croatian tennis has ever produced,” died on Monday in Opatija, western Croatia.

The late tennis star’s career spanned decades. He began in Split in 1953 and four years later represented the Yugoslav youth national team. He went on to win the Yugoslav Championship five times in singles (1962, 1963, 1964, 1966, 1967), seven times in doubles, and once in mixed doubles.

His crowning achievement on the court came in 1973, reaching the French Open final, where he lost to Ilie Nastase, while he also won the US Open doubles title with Pierre Barthes in 1970.

After retiring, Pilic became a revered coach, working with the likes of Goran Ivanisevic, Michael Stich, and Boris Becker. He played a pivotal role in shaping Novak Djokovic’s early career, who fondly called him his “tennis dad.” In 1999, Djokovic’s first coach, Jelena Gencic, sent the young star to Pilic’s Munich academy to refine his game.