Novak Djokovic cries as his former mentor Nikola Pilic receives tribute at Hellenic Championship

Overview

• Novak Djokovic was in tears as his former mentor, Nikola Pilic, receives tribute at Hellenic Championship in Greece before his match
• Pilic passed away in September 2025 at the age of 86, whom Djokovic regarded to be a legend of the game
• The 38-year-old claimed him to be more than a mentor and regarded him to be a part of his family

Novak Djokovic was in tears as his former mentor, Nikola Pilic, receives tribute at Hellenic Championship in Greece before his match. Pilic passed away in September 2025 at the age of 86, whom Djokovic regarded to be a legend of the game. The 38-year-old claimed him to be more than a mentor and regarded him to be a part of his family.

The Serbian claimed that he would not be the athlete he is today if not for Pilic. He requested the fans in attendance to support him and pay tribute to his former mentor and coach whom he regarded to be a legend.

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"Sorry. Sorry for this but he was more than just a mentor and a coach to me. He was a part of my family to me and my brothers. He has helped so much and I definitely wouldn’t be who I am today without him. He passed away a few months ago and I want to ask your support to give him respect and the tribute that he deserves, the legend that he is," an emotional Djokovic said.

"He was my tennis father as I like to call him," - Novak Djokovic

After his match in the press conference, the veteran claimed that Pilic was like a father to him. He claimed his mentor to have played an integral and fundamental part in his development as a Tennis player.

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"It was an emotional moment. Considering what he meant to me and my family, privately, also professionally, he was my tennis father as I like to call him - someone that has played a fundamental, integral role in my development as a tennis player and as a human being. It was really sad news when I heard that he passed away a few months ago," Djokovic added.