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Nikola Pilić

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Nikola Pilić

Nikola Pilić (27 August 1939 – 22 September 2025) was a Croatian professional tennis player who competed for SFR Yugoslavia. He was the coach of the Croatian, West German and Serbian national tennis teams, with whom he won several Davis Cup titles. He participated in the founding of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and the professionalization of tennis. Pilić was one of the Handsome Eight. Pilić was ranked world No. 6 in January 1968 and world No. 7 for 1967 by Lance Tingay of The Daily Telegraph.

Infobox

Country (sports)
Yugoslavia
Born
(1939-08-27)27 August 1939Split, 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)
Career record
143–134 (Open era)
Career titles
6
Highest ranking
No. 6 (1968, Lance Tingay)
Australian Open
QF (1970)
French Open
4R (1969, 1976–77)
Wimbledon
F (1962)
US Open
W (1970)
US Pro
QF (1968)
Wembley Pro
QF (1968)
French Pro
QF (1968)

Tables

· Grand Slam finals › Singles: 1 (1 runner-up)
Loss
Loss
Result
Loss
Year
1973
Championship
French Open
Opponent
Ilie Năstase
Score
3–6, 3–6, 0–6
Result
Year
Championship
Surface
Opponent
Score
Loss
1973
French Open
Clay
Ilie Năstase
3–6, 3–6, 0–6
· Grand Slam finals › Doubles: 2 (1 title, 1 runner-up)
Loss
Loss
Result
Loss
Year
1962
Championship
Wimbledon
Partner
Boro Jovanović
Opponents
Bob Hewitt Fred Stolle
Score
2–6, 7–5, 2–6, 4–6
Win
Win
Result
Win
Year
1970
Championship
US Open
Partner
Pierre Barthès
Opponents
Roy Emerson Rod Laver
Score
6–3, 7–6, 4–6, 7–6
Result
Year
Championship
Surface
Partner
Opponents
Score
Loss
1962
Wimbledon
Grass
Boro Jovanović
Bob Hewitt Fred Stolle
2–6, 7–5, 2–6, 4–6
Win
1970
US Open
Grass
Pierre Barthès
Roy Emerson Rod Laver
6–3, 7–6, 4–6, 7–6
Key · Grand Slam singles performance timeline
W
F
SF
QF
RR
Q#
DNQ
A
NH
· Grand Slam singles performance timeline
Australian Open
Australian Open
Tournament
Australian Open
1960
A
1961
A
1962
2R
1963
A
1964
A
1965
A
1966
A
1967
A
1968
A
1969
A
1970
3R
1971
2R
1972
A
1973
A
1974
A
1975
A
1976
A
1977
A
1977
A
1978
A
SR
0 / 3
French Open
French Open
Tournament
French Open
1960
A
1961
4R
1962
2R
1963
3R
1964
4R
1965
3R
1966
A
1967
A
1968
A
1969
2R
1970
A
1971
1R
1972
A
1973
F
1974
A
1975
3R
1976
A
1977
1R
1977
2R
1978
0 / 11
Wimbledon
Wimbledon
Tournament
Wimbledon
1960
2R
1961
3R
1962
2R
1963
1R
1964
2R
1965
A
1966
1R
1967
SF
1968
1R
1969
1R
1970
2R
1971
3R
1972
A
1973
A
1974
3R
1975
1R
1976
4R
1977
3R
1977
A
1978
0 / 15
US Open
US Open
Tournament
US Open
1960
A
1961
A
1962
1R
1963
A
1964
A
1965
1R
1966
A
1967
3R
1968
4R
1969
3R
1970
4R
1971
4R
1972
4R
1973
QF
1974
A
1975
A
1976
A
1977
A
1977
A
1978
0 / 9
Strike rate
Strike rate
Tournament
Strike rate
1960
0 / 1
1961
0 / 2
1962
0 / 4
1963
0 / 2
1964
0 / 2
1965
0 / 2
1966
0 / 1
1967
0 / 2
1968
0 / 2
1969
0 / 3
1970
0 / 3
1971
0 / 4
1972
0 / 1
1973
0 / 2
1974
0 / 1
1975
0 / 2
1976
0 / 1
1977
0 / 2
1977
0 / 1
1978
0 / 38
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

References

  1. "Top Players Go For Cup", St. Petersburg Times, 31 January 1968.
    https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=y3BIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MVwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3501,7442370&dq=nikola+pili%C4%87+world+rankings+1967&hl=en
  2. sport.hrt.hr
    https://sport.hrt.hr/tenis/preminuo-nikola-pilic-legenda-hrvatskog-i-svjetskog-tenisa-12347754
  3. Deutsche Welle Croatian language service 19 July 2010 Nikola Pilić – 'Prus sa Balkana'
    http://www.dw.de/dw/article/0,,5813309,00.html
  4. United States Lawn Tennis Association (1972). Official Encyclopedia of Tennis (First edition), p. 428.
  5. Nikola Pilić: Krao sam novac od majke da kupim reket;Blic, 29 May 2011
    http://www.blic.rs/Vesti/Reportaza/256732/Nikola-Pilic-Krao-sam-novac-od-majke-da-kupim-reket
  6. Hartford Courant
    https://newspapers.com/image/370644055/?terms=Moscow%20international%20tennis&match=1
  7. www.tennis.co.nf
    http://www.tennis.co.nf/WIMBLEDON%201967.htm
  8. Game, Set, and Match : The Tennis Boom of the 1960s and 70s
  9. The Bud Collins History of Tennis
  10. World of Tennis '74
  11. "The History of the Championships"
    https://web.archive.org/web/20110627155450/http://aeltc2011.wimbledon.com/125th-championships/history/index.html
  12. "Dark Fortnight For Wimbledon..."
    https://www.si.com/vault/1973/07/02/615178/dark-fortnight-for-wimbledon
  13. sport.hrt.hr
    https://sport.hrt.hr/tenis/za-slavljenje-piliceve-ostavstine-nema-bolje-pozornice-od-davis-cupa--12435477
  14. Historical Dictionary of Tennis
    https://archive.org/details/historicaldictio00gras
  15. "Ljubav Nikole Pilića sa Srpkinjom bila je jača od rata i svih podela: Zavoleli su se u Novom Sadu i čak tri puta venčavali!"
    https://www.kurir.rs/sport/tenis/9782671/nikola-pilic-bio-ozenjen-srpkinjom-mijom
  16. Četiri decenije sa Nikolom; Blic, 25 September 2010
    http://www.blic.rs/Zabava/Vesti/208794/Cetiri-decenije-sa-Nikolom
  17. B92.net
    https://www.b92.net/info/vesti/index.php?yyyy=2020&mm=02&dd=15&nav_category=12&nav_id=1654832
  18. tennisupdate
    https://tennisuptodate.com/atp/novak-djokovics-tennis-father-nikola-pilic-passes-away-at-87
  19. "Niki Pilic, dashing tennis player who went on to coach five Davis Cup-winning teams"
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2025/09/30/niki-pilic-dashing-tennis-player-davis-cup-hero-obituary/
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