Niki Pilić, who died at the age of 86, unconsciously wrote in the history of professional tennis by becoming the center of Wimbledon Boycott of 1973, when 81 players withdrew to the eve of the championships.
Pilić was also a unique Davis Cup player and captain in the sense that he played for Yugoslavia before he led three different countries Germany, Croatia and Serbia in triumph between 1993 and 2010. After setting up a coaching academy in München, Pilić also went to the development of a 12-year-old Novak named Novakaamentaaienaiadaienaiada vaormaai
Despite these achievements, it is his involvement with the Wimbledon boycott for which this long, quirky left-handed will be remembered. Open tennis, which allowed professionals to be able to compete with amateurs, had arrived in 1968, but politically the game was still in Chaos in 1973 when Pilić was selected to play Davis Cup for Yugoslavia in May. Pilić struck the notes and bolts of the whole problem, announced his federation, whose president of his uncle, he could not do this because he was and had signed a professional to play in the Tennis World Championship (WCT) Final with his Australian partner, Allan Stone.
Put the federation aside, the Federation immediately suspended Pilić for nine months, so he would prevent him from playing the French Open and Wimbledon. Cliff Drydale, who was the first president of the ATP Tour, quickly picked up in the dressing room and found a mood of considerable militancy. “The players were sick for the teeth of dictating by amateur officials,” said Drysdale. “Niki was not the most popular player on tour, but almost for a man they were willing to support him because they saw it as a golden chance to take a position.”
A very long story, which became a very long story in the British press in the week prior to Wimbledon, eventually resulted in the ATP sign to vote to attract his players from the Wimbledon -similar play for hours after it was made on Friday morning. It was called “the Pilić affair” and the man himself was surprised about the fuss he had created. By the weekend he flew home to escape from the media. “But Niki knew exactly what was going on and was not shy about the spotlight,” Drysdale added. “He was more academically inclined than most players and gave his politics good. We didn’t even like what would happen to Yugoslavia when President Tito died. Niki said it would fall apart. I doubted that but he was right.”
Pilic never had a shortage of opinions and often had his colleague players bragging as “only two people drive Mercedes in Yugoslavia – Tito and me!” But if that was harmless, one day he had Arthur Ashe choking on his breakfast cereals at breakfast in Bologna when he announced that “the woman – she is there to serve husband!” After a sip of tea, Ashe replied: “Niki – you can’t say that! This is the 20th century!”
Born in the Coastal Croatian City of Split to Danica Tomić-Ferić and Krsto Pilić, Niki (Nikola) Started Playing Tennis at Small Club With Six Courts That Went On To Become The Child Hood Training Ground for An Amazing Number of Players, Frencherers Wimbledon Champion Goran Ivanišević and Mario Ančić, Who Reached a Ranking of World No 7.
On the Red Clay Courts Pilić quickly used his athletic frame to make a stamp in Junior Tennis. His left -handed serve with his low pitch remained a big weapon when he got up to the top of the game, and his forehand was frightening.
He found the perfect partner in a young person from Zagreb named Boro Jovanović, who compensated for a smaller form with great consistency, and the couple soon became known for reaching the Wimbledon -DoubleFinal in 1962, where they lost from Fred Stolle and Bob Hewitt. In 1967 Pilić scored one of his most memorable victories in Singles by beating the double champion Roy Emerson on his way to the semi-final of Wimbledon before he became pro and became a member of “The Handsome Eight”-the first players who signed up by Texas entrepreneur Lama Lama Jagen on his WCT-Tour.
By 1970, Pilić was founded as a player who was able to beat someone in Singles or Doubles. After winning the Singles title on Gras in Bristol with victories over Tom Okker, John Newcombe and Rod Laver in the final, the Yugoslav took a new partner in the French NR. 1 Pierre Barthès, and they immediately won the US Open in Forest Hills by beating Newcombe and Laver in the final.
Setting up his academy in Munich soon led to Pilić appointed West -German Davis Cup captain when Boris Becker, after won Wimbledon on 17 in 1985, led his nation to their first Cup triumphs in 1988 and 89, with Pilić in the chair. It was remarkable that Pilić was able to win Becker’s confidence, as well as the next German star, Michael Stich, who helped win the Cup Germany in 1993. Becker and Stich were not good friends, but Pilić both coached both with great success.
At his academy, Pilić was careful in his choice of students and first rejected the attraction of Jelena Genenaić, Djokovic’s youth coach, to accept him in Munich at the age of 12. “But Niki was incredible in reading the potential of players,” told the future world no. 3 Ivan Ljubičić to the Djokovic biographer Chris Bowers. “He saw that Novak was mentally ready from the start.”
Pilić was married to the actor Mija Adamović. She survives, together with their daughter, Danijela, and son, Niko.
Niki (Nikola) Pilić, tennis player and coach, born on August 27, 1939; died on September 22, 2025
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