Tennis icon Novak Djokovic gets emotional after he wins in the second round of the ATP 250 Hellenic Championships against Chilean Alejandro Tabilo at Athens, Greece. The tennis legend broke down while watching the video tribute to Pilic in a Novak Djokovic emotional moment that moved the crowd.
Who is Nicola Pilic?
Nicola Pilic is a legendary tennis player from Croatia who played professional tennis from 1968 to 1978. Born in 1939, Pilic died in September 2025 at the age of 86. He was the coach and mentor to Novak Djokovic when the 24-time Grand Slam champion was just 12. Djokovic joined Nicola Pillic’s tennis academy in Germany at the age of 12.
Nicola Pilic had a great coaching career after his retirement in 1978. His academy near Munich trained many star players. Some of them include Novak Djokovic, Goran Ivanisevic, and Michael Stich. He was also the first and only captain to lead three countries, Germany, Croatia, and Serbia, in their Davis Cup titles.
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Novak Djokovic Gets Emotional On Court
Djokovic watched the video in tribute to his mentor, Nikola Pilic, and he was in tears, saying, “Sorry. Sorry for this, but he was more than just a mentor and a coach to me. He was a part of my family to me and my brothers. He has helped so much, and I definitely wouldn’t be who I am today without him.” Djokovic added, “He passed away a few months ago, and I want to ask your support to give him respect and the tribute that he deserves, the legend that he is.”
Later, in a chat with the ATP website, Djovic said, “It was an emotional moment. Considering what he meant to me and my family — privately, also professionally — he was my tennis father, as I like to call him, someone who has 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 had passed away.”
“As long as I play tennis and as long as I live, I will celebrate his name. And tonight, this was one of the moments of how to pay tribute. And I’m sure in the near future – in the far future as well – people will learn about how Niki has impacted the world of tennis and the world of sport. He deserves it. He was a very special man.”
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Djokovic Feels Like Home In Athens
Novak Djokovic has recently moved to Athens from Serbia, and after the match, he said it feels really like home playing in Athens. Djokovic added that he liked the way people approached him.
