Although he is no longer in his prime, Marin Cilic has not lost the desire to play tennis and wants to extend his career as much as possible. The Croatian veteran has had several knee problems in recent years and many insiders thought his retirement was near, but he worked hard and managed to return to the highest level.
He wants to end his long journey in professional tennis on his own terms, having had the privilege of sharing the court with some of the best players of all time in a unique era for our sport. The reference is above all to Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, who certainly prevented him from winning a greater number of prestigious titles when he was at the peak of his shape.
Cilic recalls his amazing US Open run
There is no doubt that Cilic experienced the high moment of his career at the 2014 US Open, when he clinched his first and only Major title thanks to a series of impressive performances that left the crowd speechless in New York. Marin was unstoppable for anyone during that edition of the US Open, in which he defeated 20-time Grand Slam champion Federer in the semifinals and then Kei Nishikori in the final.
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In a long interview with 'The Tennis Mentor', the former Top 10 player recalled above all his triumph against the Swiss Maestro in the semifinals: "That performance was really incredible from all points of view. I only felt a bit of pressure in the last game, before happiness took control of me and gave me a beautiful smile after match point. When I got to the net, Roger told me that he was very happy with what I had just achieved.
We had known each other for a long time, but these are not easy words to say to a rival. After so many years, I must admit that that moment was very emotional."
The Croatian ace played two more Grand Slam finals at the 2017 Wimbledon Championships and the 2018 Australian Open both lost to Federer.
