LONDON: It was 18 years ago when Marin Cilic made his debut in the Wimbledon main draw as a wildcard.
At the time the Croat was emerging as a rising star of men’s tennis after stunning Tim Henman to reach the last eight at Queen’s, which was then known as the Artois Championships. Over the coming years, Cilic was one of the few players able to enjoy big success on the Tour during the Big Three Era, highlighted by winning the 2014 US Open. At Wimbledon, he reached the quarter-finals three years in a row before making it through to the final in 2017 when he was beaten by Roger Federer. This was the eighth and last time the Swiss maestro triumphed at SW19.
Nowadays, Cilic is still working hard on the Tour as some of his biggest rivals enjoy their retirement. Now aged 36, he illustrated that he still has what it takes after recently becoming the oldest man to win a Challenger title on the grass in Nottingham.
However, age will catch up with Cilic at some point. So does he enter tournaments such as Wimbledon thinking it could be the last time he plays there?
“I’m going until I’m going,” Cilic told a small group of reporters on Sunday evening at The All England Club.
“I’m physically feeling really good. Since September I started with some tournaments and now when I got into the groove of playing, like a regular season, my body feels good.
“I’m not setting any any limits.”
Cilic is not the oldest player in the top 100. Roberto Bautista Agut, Gael Monfils and Novak Djokovic are all older than him. Later this month will be the 20th anniversary of when he made his ATP Tour debut in qualifying and when he takes to the court in Wimbledon, he will be playing in his 760th Tour-level match.
As to the secret to his longevity in the sport, Cilic puts it down to discipline and diligence.
“I’m just grateful that I was very disciplined and very diligent with my training,” he said.
“Always so professional, no matter if I’m preparing for a tournament, training at home or doing rehabilitation. It’s always professional and proper training to do everything well.
Plus, with the team taking care of my body, sleeping well, not drinking, so not partying… it gives you it gives you years to enjoy it.”
Cilic’s passion for the sport is evident when you ask his view on certain subjects. He isn’t afraid to voice his objection to tennis moving away from tradition to using electronic line calling. Something that will be used across all of Wimbledon for the first time year. Cilic argues that by doing so it is making it harder for those who want to go into officiating the game.
Now he has outlasted most of the Big Four (except Djokovic), Cilic is relishing playing while the next generation is taking over. Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have won the last six Grand Slams between them.
“I think the game just shifted a little bit to be very specific,” Cilic explains when comparing the new generation to their older peers.
“What has become of the game is that the guys at the top became the guys who are athletically great first, then hitting big and are in position in the edges of the court. You see them hitting great shots at big extensions of the court.
“And they can hit through the court and the game became more of a hitting game rather than playing just with the speed changing pace. You can still play with 80% of the speed. But the ball has pace. And so it’s shifted.”
Cilic will play his first round match at Wimbledon on Tuesday against Raphael Collignon. If he wins, he could then take on fourth seed Jack Draper.
