History of Marin Čilić in Timeline

Marin Čilić is a highly accomplished Croatian professional tennis player, reaching a career-high ranking of world No. 3. His achievements include 21 ATP Tour-level singles titles, highlighted by his major victory at the 2014 US Open. He is considered among the greatest Croatian tennis players alongside Goran Ivanišević and Iva Majoli, solidifying his place in tennis history.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles

1908: Olympic Men's Doubles History

In 1908, the Olympics saw the same country winning both gold and silver in men's doubles for the second time in its history, highlighting a rare occurrence.

1973: ATP Ranking System Introduction

In 1973, the current ATP ranking system was introduced, setting the context for Čilić's achievement in 2024 as the lowest-ranked player to win a title since its inception.

2001: Goran Ivanišević wins Wimbledon Championships

In 2001, Marin Čilić's coach, Goran Ivanišević, won the Wimbledon Championships, marking a significant milestone for Croatian tennis.

2007: Singles Title Drought

In 2007, Čilić had previously gone without winning a singles title, marking a period where he faced challenges in securing a tournament victory.

2007: Previous Challenger Title

In 2007, Čilić had previously won a Challenger title in Rijeka, Croatia, marking a significant milestone before his 2025 victory.

2007: Last Major Qualifying Competition

In 2007, Čilić last played in the qualifying competition of a major tournament at the US Open, preceding his 2025 French Open qualifying.

August 2008: Tournament Final Drought

As of August 2008, Čilić had not reached a tournament final in over a year, marking a significant period without a final appearance.

2009: Raemon Sluiter's Low Ranking Final

In 2009, Raemon Sluiter became the lowest-ranked finalist in 's-Hertogenbosch, a record Čilić approached in 2024.

2011: Li-Ning Apparel Contract

In 2011, Čilić signed a 5-year contract with Li-Ning for apparel.

February 2014: Losing Tournament Streak

Since February 2014, Čilić had maintained at least one tournament title on the ATP Tour, marking a period of consistent success.

2014: US Open Final Rematch

In 2014, Čilić participated in a rematch against Kei Nishikori at the US Open quarterfinals, a repeat of their final match from that year.

2014: Wimbledon Quarterfinals

In 2014, Čilić reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, marking a significant achievement in the tournament.

2015: French Open and Wimbledon Performance

In 2015, at the French Open, Čilić was defeated by David Ferrer in the fourth round. He also reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon after defeating Moriya, Berankis, Isner and Kudla.

2015: Davis Cup World Group Playoff Victory

In 2015, following his US Open victory, Čilić competed in the Davis Cup World Group playoffs against the Netherlands. He partnered with Marin Draganja to win the doubles match against Robin Haase and Jean-Julien Rojer. With the score tied at 2-2, Čilić replaced Borna Ćorić in the deciding singles rubber and defeated Thiemo de Bakker, securing Croatia's place in the World Group for 2015.

August 2016: Cincinnati Masters Title and New Coach

In August 2016, Čilić announced Jonas Björkman as his new coach. He also won his first Masters title in Cincinnati, defeating Andy Murray in the final, ending Murray's 22-match winning streak. This victory helped Čilić return to the top 10 rankings.

2016: Previous Davis Cup Final

In 2016, Čilić faced a similar situation in the Davis Cup final, needing to win his second rubber to secure the title for Croatia.

2016: Olympic Games Participation

In 2016, Čilić participated in the Olympics, competing in both the men's singles and men's doubles events with Marin Draganja. He reached the last 16 in singles and the second round in doubles.

2016: Return to Fila Apparel

In 2016, Čilić switched back to wearing Fila apparel.

2017: 2017 Season Start

In 2017, Čilić started his season as the first seed at the Chennai Open but lost in the second round. At the Australian Open, he lost in the second round to Dan Evans.

2017: Istanbul Open Title Defense Failure

In 2017, Čilić was unable to defend his title at Istanbul, losing in his opening match to Malek Jaziri. This loss marked the first time since February 2014 that he had not held any tournament on the ATP Tour.

2017: Istanbul Open Title and ATP Success

In 2017, Čilić won the Istanbul Open, defeating Milos Raonic in the final. This victory marked his 14th ATP 250 title, second clay title, and 17th title overall, extending his streak to ten consecutive years with at least one ATP title.

2018: Equipment Details

As of 2018, Čilić used the Head YouTek Radical MidPlus racquet with a custom string pattern, painted to resemble the Head Graphene Touch Prestige Mid, and a hybrid of Babolat VS Touch and Luxilon ALU Power strings.

2018: 2018 Season Start

In 2018, Čilić began the season as the first seed in Pune, India, where he reached the semifinals but lost to eventual champion Gilles Simon.

2018: Davis Cup Final Victory

In 2018, Čilić led the Croatian national team in the Davis Cup final against France. He won his first match against Tsonga and secured the decisive victory for Croatia by defeating Lucas Pouille.

October 2019: 500th Career Match Win

On October 17, 2019, Čilić achieved his 500th career match win at the Kremlin Cup in Moscow, becoming the 10th active player to reach this milestone.

2020: Head Apparel Sponsorship

In 2020, Čilić began wearing Head apparel.

2020: 2020 Season Performance

In 2020, Čilić reached the fourth round of the Australian Open before losing to Milos Raonic. He also experienced early exits in the Open 13, Dubai Tennis Championships, and Cincinnati Masters. At the US Open, he reached the third round, and he was defeated in the first round of the French Open by Dominic Thiem.

November 2021: Return to Top 30

On November 1, 2021, with his victory at the St. Petersburg Open, Čilić returned to the top 30 in the world rankings, reaching World No. 28 after two years.

2021: 2021 Season Start

In 2021, Čilić began the season at the Murray River Open, losing in the first round. At the Australian Open, he was defeated in the first round by Grigor Dimitrov.

September 2022: Previous Final in Tel Aviv

In September 2022, Čilić's last final appearance before the 2024 Hangzhou Open was in Tel Aviv.

October 2022: Tel Aviv Open Final and Top 15 Return

In October 2022, Čilić reached the final of the Tel Aviv Open, where he lost to Novak Djokovic. As a result, he returned to the top 15 in the rankings at world No. 14 on October 3, 2022.

2022: Previous French Open Appearance

In 2022, Čilić had previously participated in the French Open, marking his last appearance before the 2025 tournament.

2022: Last Top 5 Win at French Open

In 2022, Čilić secured his last Top 5 win by defeating Daniil Medvedev in the fourth round of the French Open, preceding his 2025 Wimbledon win against Jack Draper.

2023: Knee Injury and Hiatus

In 2023, Čilić reached the quarterfinals in Pune but injured his knee, leading to his withdrawal from the tournament and a subsequent hiatus that caused him to fall out of the top 100.

May 2024: Withdrawal from French Open

In May 2024, Čilić withdrew from the French Open due to undergoing knee surgery.

August 2024: Return to Manacor Challenger

In August 2024, after a six-month hiatus, Čilić returned to the 2024 Manacor Challenger, defeating Alberto Barroso Campos in the first round.

September 2024: Hangzhou Open Victory

In September 2024, ranked No. 777, Čilić won the Hangzhou Open as a wildcard, defeating Zhang Zhizhen in the final. This marked his 21st title and 16th on hard courts, making him the lowest-ranked player to win a title since 1973.

2024: Australian Open Appearance

In 2024, Čilić had participated in the Australian Open, marking his last Grand Slam tournament before the 2025 French Open.

June 2025: Nottingham Open Challenger Title and Wimbledon Return

In June 2025, Čilić won the Lexus Nottingham Open Challenger title, marking his third final of the season and a return to the top 100 in singles rankings. At 36 years and eight months, Čilić also became the oldest grass court champion in Challenger history. He received a direct main draw entry for the 2025 Wimbledon Championships after a four year absence and upset Jack Draper in the second round.

2025: Wimbledon Championships

As of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships, Čilić's career information is current.

2025: French Open Appearance and Qualifying

In 2025, Čilić played in the French Open for the first time since 2022, entering as a lucky loser after qualifying, marking his first major qualifying competition since 2007. He lost in the first round to Flavio Cobolli.

2025: Dubai Tennis Championships Quarterfinal

In 2025, Čilić reached the quarterfinals of the Dubai Tennis Championships, defeating Alex de Minaur and Alexei Popyrin, leading to a rise in the singles rankings.

2025: Girona Challenger Title

In 2025, Čilić won his first Challenger title in 17 years and 10 months at the Girona Challenger, breaking Andy Murray's record for the longest gap in winning titles on the ATP Challenger Tour.