Tennis great Nikola Pilić, mentor to Novak Djokovic, dies at 86

Sep 23, 2025, 10:19 AM ET

ZAGREB, Croatia — Croatian tennis great Nikola Pilić, the first captain to lead three countries to Davis Cup glory and who trained Novak Djokovic in his academy, has died. He was 86.

The Croatian Tennis Association said Pilić died on Monday.

Pilić was a French Open singles runner-up in 1973 and the catalyst for the Wimbledon boycott that year.

Yugoslavia tennis officials accused Pilić of refusing to play a Davis Cup tie against New Zealand. He denied it but was still suspended. The International Lawn Tennis Federation (now the ITF) supported the Yugoslav decision but reduced his suspension to one month — but that included Wimbledon.

Because Pilić was supported by the new Association of Tennis Professionals, 12 of the 16 top seeds and a total of 81 players boycotted Wimbledon.

Pilić was already a star when tennis turned fully professional in 1968. When U.S. businessman Lamar Hunt backed a new professional tour called World Championship Tennis, the likes of Pilić, John Newcombe and Tony Roche were the first eight men’s players signed — called the Handsome Eight.

Pilić won nine singles titles and reached a highest singles ranking of No. 6. He lost the French Open final to Ilje Nastase. His six doubles titles included the 1970 U.S. Open with Pierre Barthes against Newcombe and Rod Laver in a four-set final.

After his playing retirement in 1978, Pilić coached and won the Davis Cup as a non-playing captain with Boris Becker’s Germany (1988, 1989, 1993), Croatia (2005) and Serbia (2010).

Future stars who passed through his academy near Munich included Michael Stich, Goran Ivanisevic and Djokovic, who called Pilić his mentor.

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