Roland Garros finalist Nikola Pilic died in 1973

Croatian tennis player Nikola Pilic died at the age of 87 on Monday, September 22. This was reported on the website of the Croatian Tennis Association (HTC).

During his playing career, Pilic participated in the finals of the 1962 Wimbledon tennis tournament, won the 1970 US Open in doubles, and also became a finalist at Roland Garros 1973 in singles. The highest achievement in a tennis player's career is considered to be the sixth position in the ranking lists of the world's leading players.

After finishing his playing career in 1978, Pilic began coaching. He coached Novak Djokovic, a multiple Grand Slam winner, from the age of 12 to 16. In 2022, Djokovic called Pilic his "tennis father," noting that he spent the most important years of his formative years as a tennis player with him.

HTC notes that Pilic will be remembered as the only coach who led three different countries to victory in the Davis Cup. Besides Croatia, he has achieved success with Germany and Serbia. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Franjo Buchar State Prize in the field of sports for the development of sports in the country.

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