Djokovic saddened by his Beijing Olympics coach Jovan Lilic’s demise

Jovan Lilic, Novak Djokovic‘s coach during his bronze medal-winning run at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, has passed away.

Lilic (1965-2024) breathed his last in Belgrade, Serbia, as announced by Serbian Tennis Federation:

“It is with great pain and sadness that we inform the sports and tennis public that Jovan Lilic a prominent tennis worker, coach and man who brought smiles to our faces with his cheerful spirit, left us too soon. After a long and serious illness, he died in Belgrade.”

Lilic contributed greatly to Serbian tennis, winning multiple accolades at the European Championships as a junior and coaching the Davis Cup and Beijing Olympics contingents.

“Generations of tennis players remain behind Jovan, whom he led as personal and club coach, selector of the national team under 18 and as coach of the Davis Cup team of Serbia. He won numerous medals at the European championships for junior categories, was decorated as a coach with “Salatar” in the Davis Cup team of Serbia, and was also the coach of the Serbian national team at the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008, when Novak Djokovic won the bronze medal.

“We sympathise with the pain of the Lilic family. The funeral will take place on Tuesday, October 8 at 1 p.m. at the Belgrade Lešće cemetery.”

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Djokovic’s campaign at 2008 Games under Lilic

Djokovic, who’s in China for the Shanghai Masters, shared the saddening news on his Instagram and expressed grief:

“My special Naz,” the 24-time Grand Slam champion wrote in his story (translated).

Djokovic had only been a professional tennis player for five years when he clinched the Olympic bronze in Beijing. He started his run with a win against American Robert Ginepri and later downed German Rainer Schuttler and Mikhail Youzny, the seed No 13 from Russia.

The Serb, seeded third, outdid Frenchman Gael Monfils in the quarter-finals before losing an intense fight against Spain’s Rafael Nadal, the eventual gold medalist at the Games.

In the bronze-medal match, he overcame American James Blake to earn his first glory at the Olympics, being under the aegis of Lilic all the while.

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