The global tennis community is mourning the loss of Nikola Pilic, a legendary coach and former player, who passed away at the age of 86. Known as the “tennis father” of Novak Djokovic, the Croatian coach played a pivotal role in shaping the career of one of the greatest tennis players in history. Before his illustrious coaching career, Pilic was a distinguished player, reaching the 1973 Roland Garros final and winning the 1970 US Open doubles title. Operating his renowned tennis academy in Munich, Pilic mentored numerous players, including a young Novak Djokovic, who joined the academy at just 12 years old in 1999. Breaking his own rule of not coaching players under 14, Pilic took Djokovic under his wing at the urging of the Serbian’s former coach, Jelena Gencic.