Marin Cilic on how US Open ‘brings the goosebumps’

ATP Tour

Marin’s memories: Former champ Cilic on how US Open ‘brings the goosebumps’

2014 winner assesses Alcaraz, Sinner and their rise to the top

Mike Lawrence/ATP Tour Marin Cilic is a former No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings. By Andy West

It would be hard for Marin Cilic’s past at the US Open not to somehow inform his latest campaign at the hard-court major.

The 2014 titlist is back to compete in New York for the first time in three years and walking around the grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center has perhaps inevitably brought back memories of his past successes there. Cilic’s intention is to put them to good use as he prepares for his 15th main-draw appearance at Flushing Meadows.

“There are flashes. Obviously, I am not thinking only about my victory here, more into details,” Cilic, who takes on 23rd seed Alexander Bublik in the first round, told ATPTour.com. “What things did I do well in those years when I played well, especially the one that I won? What helped me to find my game? What helped me to just find my inner peace and compete at that level?

“I’m just trying to pick a couple of things and if I can incorporate those into my game, great. The feeling that you know you played well here is maybe an extra boost to lift your game.”

The US Open naturally stands out as a special tournament for Cilic, but not just for his 2014 title run in which he dropped just three sets and included a straight-sets victory against Roger Federer in the semi-finals.

“It means an achievement of a lifetime [to me], absolutely,” said the 36-year-old Croatian. “Obviously, everything came to life over here. I had some great success prior to my victory here, playing in the era of not only the Big Four but also other guys from Andy Roddick to [James] Blake to [Fernando] Gonzalez to [Tomas] Berdych to [Jo-Wilfried] Tsonga to [Juan Martin] del Potro to [David] Nalbandian to many incredible champions we had on the Tour.

“Here, all my dreams came true, so coming here again always brings the goosebumps and always brings a little bit of a sensation of, ‘Can I do it again?’ You never know what’s coming, so you’ve always got to keep your mind open and work as hard as you can to achieve those things.”

Marin Cilic defeated Kei Nishikori to triumph at the 2014 US Open. Photo Credit: Stan Honda/AFP via Getty Images

There were no guarantees that Cilic was going to get the chance to compete again at an event where he holds a 41-13 record. He missed almost all of the 2023 season and half of 2024 due to a right knee injury, a tough absence for any player to bounce back from in their mid-30s.

“It was a huge struggle to come back,” reflected Cilic. “It’s an extremely difficult position, unknown territory, when you need to do a surgery. Who to trust? What to do? What if it went wrong? Obviously, you are feeling, ‘I’m 35, 36, do I need these things?’ For me it came down to just a feeling, an idea of wanting to come back and needing to do it for my past self. I was so diligent and professional for so many years, and I want to come back to give myself another chance.

“Coming back here is just a plus. To play here, to enjoy myself. My family is here, my boys. They walked here through the corridors, and they were like, ‘Oh dad, that’s you! That’s you on the photo, I can’t believe it!’ It’s fun to have new memories.”

When Cilic steps on court to face Bublik on Tuesday afternoon in New York, it will be the 36-year-old’s first US Open outing since 2022, when he reached the fourth round. A 19-year-old Carlos Alcaraz ended Cilic’s run in a five-set thriller before going on to lift his maiden major title and simultaneously become the youngest No. 1 in PIF ATP Rankings history.

“I played him that year also in Miami, where he won his first Masters 1000 and I was like, ‘This guys is unbelievable’,” recalls Cilic of the 2022 incarnation of Alcaraz. “Not many guys just blew me off the court like that. Playing here, I was ready to go full on, and it was a tough match, five sets, and he went on to win the trophy and be No. 1. To even have that kind of a run in 2022 when he was 19, with so many tough matches and five setters, it was just incredible.”

With Cilic having played most of his career in the ‘Big Four’ era, the way Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have dominated the majors across 2024 and 2025 could give Cilic a sense of déjà vu. Yet the Croatian is happy to focus on his two younger rivals’ own unique paths to the top of the sport.

“Carlos and Jannik deserve [their success],” said Cilic. “They are so diligent, so professional. They worked on their game and have incredible ability. For me, it is also great to be a part of this generation as well.”

As a player who notched plenty of successes in the Big Four era, does Cilic have any advice for other top ATP Tour stars currently trying to reel in the red-hot Alcaraz and Sinner?

“It comes down to every individual. What do you want to achieve, what is your goal?” said the 21-time tour-level champion. “Everybody has different goals, but if you want to be better than those guys, you have to be prepared to work better than them and be smart with training, smart with decisions. Many things, because these guys are just on a run for the past couple of years and are not meaning to stop.”

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