Novak Djokovic fought back tears after his second-round win at the Hellenic Championship in Athens on Tuesday, when tournament organisers played a tribute video honouring his former coach Nikola Pilic, who died in September aged 86.
Croatian-born Pilic, a French Open finalist in 1973, later became one of tennis’s most respected coaches and captained Germany to three Davis Cup titles between 1988 and 1993. Djokovic joined Pilic’s academy in Germany at the age of 12 and has often credited him with shaping both his game and character.
The Serbian great was visibly emotional during the video, which followed his 7-6(3), 6-1 victory over Alejandro Tabilo. “It was an emotional moment,” the 38-year-old told the ATP website. “Considering what he meant to me and my family, privately and professionally, he was my tennis father as I like to call him. He played a fundamental, integral role in my development as a tennis player and as a human being. It was really sad news when I heard that he passed away.”
Djokovic, who has won 24 Grand Slam titles and 100 ATP tournaments, said he intends to keep Pilic’s legacy alive. “As long as I play tennis and as long as I live, I’ll celebrate his name,” he said. “This was one of the moments to pay tribute and I’m sure in future people will learn about how Niki impacted the world of tennis and the world of sport. He deserves it. He was a special man.”
