 Pilić at the1975 Dutch Open | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country (sports) |  Yugoslavia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | (1939-08-27)27 August 1939 Split, Banovina of Croatia, Kingdom of Yugoslavia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 22 September 2025(2025-09-22) (aged 86) Rijeka, Croatia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Turned pro | 1968 (amateur tour from 1960) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Retired | 1978 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Plays | Left-handed (one-handed backhand) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Singles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career record | 270–201 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career titles | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest ranking | No. 6 (1968,Lance Tingay)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Grand Slam singles results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Australian Open | 3R (1970) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| French Open | F (1973) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wimbledon | SF (1967) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| US Open | QF (1973) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Professional majors | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| US Pro | QF (1968) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wembley Pro | QF (1968) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| French Pro | QF (1968) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Doubles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career record | 143–134 (Open era) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career titles | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Grand Slam doubles results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Australian Open | QF (1970) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| French Open | 4R (1969, 1976–77) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wimbledon | F (1962) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| US Open | W (1970) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Nikola Pilić (27 August 1939 – 22 September 2025) was a Croatian professional tennis player who competed forSFR Yugoslavia. He was the coach of theCroatian,West German andSerbian national tennis teams, with whom he won severalDavis Cup titles.[2] He participated in the founding of theAssociation of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and the professionalization of tennis.[2]
Pilić was one of theHandsome Eight.[3] Pilić was ranked world No. 6 in January 1968 and world No. 7 for 1967 byLance Tingay ofThe Daily Telegraph.[1][4]
Pilić was born inSplit, then in theBanovina of Croatia of theKingdom of Yugoslavia, on 27 August 1939, to Krsto Pilić and Danica Tomić-Ferić.
The youngster took up tennis during the summer of 1952.[5] Thirteen years of age at this point, he began practicing on the Firule tennis club clay courts in parallel to studyingshipbuilding at the streamlined high school in Split. Upon graduating he attempted to enrol at a community college (viša škola) inZagreb, but due to not meeting the entrance criteria ended up inNovi Sad where he studiedgovernment administration (viša upravna škola).
In 1964 he won theMoscow International Championships against countrymanBoro Jovanović in five sets.[6] Pilic reached the semifinals of Wimbledon in 1967, beatingRoy Emerson.[7] Then open tennis arrived and Pilić was one of theHandsome Eight, a group of players signed byLamar Hunt in 1968 for the newly formed professionalWorld Championship Tennis (WCT) group.[8]
In 1970, Pilić won theBristol Open or West of England Championships defeatingTom Okker in a long match,Graham Stilwell,Marty Riessen,John Newcombe in a close match, andRod Laver in the final.
Also that season, Pilić won the men's doubles title at theUS Open with his French partnerPierre Barthès by defeating the AustraliansJohn Newcombe andRod Laver in four sets. His best singles performance at a Grand Slam tournament came in 1973 when he reached the final of the French Open, losing toIlie Năstase in straight sets.[9]
Pilić was the catalyst to the1973 Wimbledon boycott. In May 1973, the Yugoslav tennis federation alleged that Pilić had refused to represent them in aDavis Cup tie against New Zealand earlier that month. Pilić denied the charge, but was suspended by the federation, and the suspension was upheld by theILTF, albeit decreased from nine months to one month, meaning that he could not enter the Wimbledon Championships. In protest at the suspension, 81 of Pilić's fellow professionals, organized into theAssociation of Tennis Professionals (ATP), and including 13 of the 16 seeds, withdrew from the 1973 Wimbledon Championships.[10][11][12]
After retiring from playing tennis professionally, Pilić began coaching and became the first captain to win theDavis Cup trophy for three nations:Germany in 1988, 1989 and 1993,Croatia in 2005 andSerbia in 2010.[2][13] He's been working withSerbia Davis Cup team in the adviser role since 2007, and won the Davis Cup title in 2010.
He ran a tennis academy inOberschleißheim near Munich where he resided. Players such asMichael Stich,Novak Djokovic,Ernests Gulbis andAnastasija Sevastova developed and came through the Pilić's academy.[14]
In 1970, Pilić married Serbian actress Milica "Mija" Adamović.[15] The couple had a child in 1971, daughter Danijela.[15] Their second child, son Niko, was born in 1975.[16][15]
In 2020, he was awarded the Golden Medal of Merits of Republic of Serbia.[17]
Pilić died inRijeka, Croatia, on 22 September 2025, at the age of 86.[2][18][19]
A month after his death, in mid-November 2025, a ceremony was held in Pilić's honor inBologna, attended byIvan Ljubičić,Novak Đoković, andBoris Becker, the players with whom Pilić won the Davis Cup.[13]
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1973 | French Open | Clay |  Ilie Năstase | 3–6, 3–6, 0–6 |
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1962 | Wimbledon | Grass | Boro Jovanović |  Bob HewittFred Stolle | 2–6, 7–5, 2–6, 4–6 |
| Win | 1970 | US Open | Grass |  Pierre Barthès | Roy EmersonRod Laver | 6–3, 7–6, 4–6, 7–6 |
| W | F | SF | QF | #R | RR | Q# | DNQ | A | NH |
| Tournament | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | SR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Open | A | A | 2R | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 3R | 2R | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 3 |
| French Open | A | 4R | 2R | 3R | 4R | 3R | A | A | A | 2R | A | 1R | A | F | A | 3R | A | 1R | 2R | 0 / 11 | |
| Wimbledon | 2R | 3R | 2R | 1R | 2R | A | 1R | SF | 1R | 1R | 2R | 3R | A | A | 3R | 1R | 4R | 3R | A | 0 / 15 | |
| US Open | A | A | 1R | A | A | 1R | A | 3R | 4R | 3R | 4R | 4R | 4R | QF | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 9 | |
| Strike rate | 0 / 1 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 38 | |
Note: The Australian Open was held twice in 1977, in January and December.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
