Ilie fled Romania at age 10 with his family, spending a year at a refugee camp in Austria before emigrating to Australia.

[2] He won two ATP Tour singles titles (Coral Springs in 1998 and Atlanta in 2000), as well as five Challenger Series tournaments.

[citation needed] Ilie never progressed past the fourth round of a Grand Slam tournament, but was a fan-favorite, especially in Australia.

Described in 2001 by tennis writer Jon Wertheim as "an emerging cult hero", Ilie developed an avid following whenever he played at the Australian Open in Melbourne.

[5] The last years of Ilie's career were marred by persistent injuries, including chronic osteitis pubis, which hampered his play.