Djokovic burst into tears after winning a match at the Athens tournament, remembering his deceased coach

Serbian Novak Djokovic broke down in tears after tournament organizers in Athens showed a video dedicated to his former coach Nikola Pilic, who died in September aged 86.

Top seed Djokovic beat Chilean Alejandro Tabilo 7-6 (7-3), 6-1 in the second round on Tuesday. After the match, tournament organizers in Athens paid tribute to Pilic, whom Djokovic called his “tennis father.”

“It was a very, very difficult moment.” But on the other hand, the legacy that he left for me and the entire sport will never fade, will never die.

As long as I play tennis and as long as I live, I will glorify his name. And this evening was one of the moments to pay tribute, and I am sure that in the near future – and in the distant future too – people will learn about how Nicky influenced the world of tennis and sports in general. He deserves it. “He was a very special person,” the ATP press service quotes Djokovic as saying.

Djokovic is 38 years old, the record holder for the most seasons completed as world number one, the record holder for the most Grand Slam singles titles (24), the 2024 Olympic champion and the holder of other significant records and awards in world tennis.