Croatian tennis legend Nikola Pilic, the pioneering coach who trained Novak Djokovic and the only captain to lead three countries to Davis Cup glory, has died at the age of 86, the Croatian Tennis Association announced on Tuesday. Pilic passed away on Monday in the western Croatian town of Opatija.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Born in Split in 1939, Pilic began representing the Yugoslav youth national team just four years after starting tennis. He went on to dominate national competitions, winning five Yugoslav singles titles, seven doubles crowns, and one mixed doubles championship. His greatest achievement on the court came in 1973 when he finished runner-up at the French Open to Ilie Nastase. He also claimed the US Open doubles title in 1970 alongside Pierre Barthes.Pilic was already a prominent figure when tennis turned professional in 1968, becoming one of the first eight men, dubbed the “Handsome Eight,” to sign with Lamar Hunt’s World Championship Tennis tour. He reached a career-high singles ranking of No. 6 and won nine singles titles along the way.
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Off the court, Pilic’s influence was even greater. After retiring in 1978, he enjoyed a distinguished coaching career, leading Germany to Davis Cup triumphs in 1988, 1989, and 1993, guiding Croatia to victory in 2005, and serving as an adviser when Serbia won in 2010. His academy near Munich nurtured future stars including Michael Stich, Goran Ivanisevic, and Novak Djokovic, who affectionately called Pilic his “tennis dad.” In 1999, Djokovic’s first coach Jelena Gencic sent the young player to train under Pilic, shaping the foundation for his 24 Grand Slam titles.“Nikola Niki Pilic will be remembered as the only captain ever to lead three different nations to Davis Cup titles,” the Croatian Tennis Association said. His contributions were recognised with a Lifetime Achievement Award from Croatia in 2019 and Serbia’s Gold Medal of Merit in 2020.
