Djoković Junior Moves to Croatia as he Aims to Follow in his Brother’s Footsteps

World tennis number one Novak Djoković says that there is another Djoković who is more talented than he is – his 19-year-old brother Đorđe, who is currently in Croatia for at least the next three months under the watchful eye of coach Nikola Pilić…

Đorđe is trying to emulate the feats of his famous elder brother, and has engaged the services of well-known Croatian coach Pilić, who runs a tennis academy in the northern Adriatic town of Opatija. Djoković junior, who has arrived with his conditioning coach, has rented an apartment and will spend at least three months at the academy as he tries to break onto the professional tennis circuit.

Pilić centre with the winning Croatian Davis Cup team

“I moved here 10 days ago. It is very nice and the weather is excellent. Nikola has helped me a lot to settle in. In the next three months we will work on preparations. Conditions to work are excellent, which is the most important,” said Đorđe to daily Novi list.

Novak and Đorđe

Pilić, who was a top 10 player himself and became the first captain to win the Davis Cup trophy for three different nations: (Germany in 1988, 1989 and 1993, Croatia in 2005 and Serbia in 2010), says Đorđe has the talent and potential to go all the way, but that a lot of work needs to be done. Pilić, now 75, says Djoković junior will be one of his last projects, therefore he has a strong desire that he succeeds.