Monica Seles Honors Novak Djokovic’s Mentor Nikki Pilic With Emotional Words After His Death at 86

Novak Djokovic might be called the GOAT today, but in his early years, the 24-time slam king was still learning the basics of the racket sport. Way before we witnessed the unprecedented success on the court, a 12-year-old Djokovic was struggling with direction – until he met a former Croatian ATP icon and Davis Cup legend. Under his guiding light, Djokovic eventually turned into the unstoppable force that he is known as in modern-day. Sadly, that guiding light shone brightly before dimming into the waters of beyond and forever.

Djokovic’s childhood coach and tennis great Nikola Pilic (famously known as Nikki Pilic) has passed away, aged 86. The news hit screens on Monday. For the uninitiated, Pilic had a rare distinction in the Davis Cup history. He was the only captain to lead three different countries to the title triumph (Croatia, Germany, and Serbia). However, it’s not just the ATP landscape that has been affected by Pilic’s demise. Recently, former WTA icon and nine-time slam champion Monica Seles paid her emotional tribute to him.

In her Instagram story, she wrote, “Remembering Nikki Pilic, a tennis legend whose incredible talent and sportsmanship inspired me and my dad so much.” The former World No.1 noted, “His contributions to the sport will never be forgotten, and he will be greatly missed. Rest in peace, Nikki.” Further, ATP chairman Andrea Guadenzi remembered Pilic saying, “We are deeply saddened by the passing of Niki Pilic, a true pioneer of our sport.” A report on the ATP Tour’s website on September 23 read, “He will be greatly missed. On behalf of the ATP, we extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones.”

Speaking of his achievements, Nikola Pilic made a huge impact in the racket sport as a player, coach, captain and tournament director. Back in 1952, he initially began playing tennis at 13 years old. When it comes to the professional journey, he made it to the 1962 Wimbledon doubles final with Boro Jovanovic. He also reached the semis in singles during the 1967 edition of the grass major. During the transition period of tennis when it was opened up to amateur and professional players, Pilic joined the ‘Handsome Eight’. He was part of Lamar Hunt’s group at the World Championship Tennis (WCT) in 1968. The other members of the group were Dennis Ralston, John Newcombe, Tony Roche, Cliff Drysdale, Earl Buchholz, Roger Taylor and Pierre Barthes.

However, Pilic faced turbulence in 1973 when Yugoslavia tennis officials accused him of refusing to play a Davis Cup match. Pilic denied such allegations but was still suspended. The ITF didn’t raise an objection over this decision but reduced his suspension to one month. However, the duration also included Wimbledon, meaning he couldn’t compete at the All England Club that year. Interestingly, Pilic got the backing of the new Association of Tennis Professionals. In the wake of the incident, 12 of the 16 top seeds and a total of 81 players chose to boycott Wimbledon in his support.

In his career record, Pilic ended up winning nine singles titles. His best career ranking was No.12. Pilic also managed to reach the singles final during the 1973 French Open. However, he couldn’t lift the trophy against Ilje Nastase. Pilic’s only slam win came during the 1970 US Open in doubles. Along with Pierre Barthes, he beat the pair of Rod Laver and John Newcombe.

Being a mentor, in his years moving away from the court, he became an inspirational figure for future stars. These included the likes of Boris Becker, Michael Stich, Goran Ivanisevic, and of course Novak Djokovic. Speaking of whom, the latter once lauded Pilic’s role in his career by giving him a special title.

When Novak Djokovic called Nikola Pilić his “tennis father”

For the uninitiated, it was actually Novak Djokovic’s childhood coach who sent him for training under Nikola Pilic. In 1999, Jelena Gencic, who used to teach the then 12-year-old all the nuances of the sport, sent him to Pilic’s academy near Munich, Germany. There, he took training for a period of three months.

Back in 2018, on Pilic’s birthday, Djokovic shared a heartfelt post on his Facebook profile. Cherishing his time with Pilic, he wrote a special message for him. He called the former ATP icon his “tennis father” while highlighting his importance in his career.

Remembering the early days of training under him, Djokovic began, “Niki Pilic, my tennis father. My mentor. His wife Mija (Adamovic) and him accepted Jelena Genčić’s request for me to come to his academy in Germany when I was 12 years old even though he usually did not accept players under 14.” The Serbian pointed out that Pilic had “one of the best European tennis academies at the time. Mija and Niki treated me as their own child and did the same for my 2 younger brothers. My family will always remember that.”

“Niki is 80 this year and he still plays tennis 4h a day. His mindset is remarkable. He is healthy and super passionate about tennis – court is his home.” He reiterated his emotions for the late icon, saying he was “one of the most important tennis and life mentors I’ve ever had.”