Nikola Pilić, Tennis Legend and Djokovic’s Mentor, Passes Away
ZAGREB, Croatia – The tennis world mourns the loss of Nikola Pilić, an emblematic figure who left an indelible mark on the sport. Pilić, recognized for being the first captain to lead three countries to Davis Cup glory, passed away at the age of 86.
The news was confirmed by the Croatian Tennis Association, marking the end of an era for world tennis.
Pilić, a finalist in the French Open singles in 1973, was a prominent player and an influential coach. His legacy includes his key role in the Wimbledon boycott of that same year.
In his time as a player, Pilić was accused by Yugoslav tennis officials of refusing to participate in a Davis Cup match against New Zealand. Although he denied the accusations, he was suspended. The International Lawn Tennis Federation (now ITF) backed the decision, reducing his suspension to one month, which included Wimbledon.
The support of the new Association of Tennis Professionals for Pilić led to 12 of the 16 seeded players and a total of 81 players boycotting Wimbledon.
Pilić was already a consolidated star when tennis turned professional in 1968. When the American businessman Lamar Hunt backed the new professional circuit called World Championship Tennis, Pilić, along with John Newcombe and Tony Roche, were the first eight male players to be signed, known as the “Handsome Eight”.
Throughout his career, Pilić won nine singles titles and reached the number 6 position in the world singles ranking. He lost the French Open final to Ilie Nastase. His six doubles titles included the 1970 US Open, alongside Pierre Barthes, against Newcombe and Rod Laver in a four-set final.
After retiring as a player in 1978, Pilić dedicated himself to coaching, achieving victories in the Davis Cup as a non-playing captain with Germany, led by Boris Becker (1988, 1989, 1993), Croatia (2005) and Serbia (2010).
Future stars like Michael Stich, Goran Ivanisevic, and Novak Djokovic, who considered him his mentor, passed through his academy near Munich.
