A few days ago, Novak Djokovic's former coach Nikola Pilic passed away, a name well known to older fans, but also to some of the younger ones. Pilic was a man who left a deep mark on the world of tennis.
His career was filled with various moments, but ultimately it can be said that the Yugoslav-Croatian tennis player had a great sporting career. His best career ranking was 12th place, and he was equally successful in his role as a coach, as best evidenced by the words of his players at the funeral.
Most emphasized that Nikola always got the most out of each player and helped them reach the top even when they did not believe in themselves.
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Michael Stich, a German tennis player who went through numerous crises in his career, managed to reach second place on the ATP rankings with the help of Pilic.
Stich had only words of praise for the legendary coach, calling him a strong support and a man who appreciated basic human virtues.
Finally, Stich said that he wants Nikola Pilic to be inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame.
Pilic's impact
The German tennis player is not the only one who had words of praise, considering that many legendary faces of this sport were present at Pilic's funeral, mostly Croatian tennis players who left a deep mark.
Among those present were names like Ancic, Ljubicic, Dodig, Becker and many others. They all shared the same sentiment: Pilic was a man who spread positivity, but he also strove to get the most out of every player with his effort and work.
All in all, we can say that he was successful in every role, both as a tennis player and a professional coach.
