Marin Cilic ready to meet Jack Draper challenge at Wimbledon after four years away,

Marin Cilic

After four years away, Cilic ready to meet Draper challenge at Wimbledon

Croatian underwent knee surgery last year

Getty Images Marin Cilic will face Jack Draper on Thursday at Wimbledon. By Sam Jacot

When Marin Cilic flew to the United States for a second knee surgery in May 2024, he didn’t know if he’d play top-level tennis again. Just 18 months earlier, he had finished 2022 ranked No. 17 in the PIF ATP Rankings, highlighted by a fourth-round run at the US Open, but something wasn’t right.

At the start of 2023, the then-34-year-old arrived in Pune but withdrew before his second-round match. He returned to Europe, underwent surgery, and began rehab — but the pain lingered.

“With the diagnosis of the knee and the possible solutions, I saw dozens of doctors, got lots of opinions left and right. Everything was varying up and down, and nobody was really on point of what to do,” Cilic said, referencing 2023.

“After the first surgery, the recovery was quite long. Then I tried some conservative treatments, which helped to a certain point, but I wasn’t feeling 100 per cent. Then, sometime in March or April, I decided, ‘OK, that’s it, I’m going to have a second surgery’.”

Thankfully for Cilic, the surgery was a success and enabled him to return to Tour with vengeance last September in Hangzhou, where he captured his 21st tour-level title and first since 2021.

“It has been really good since May 2024, when I had the second surgery,” Cilic said. “Since then, everything has just been really, really going well. I probably had a couple of issues here and there during the 2024 season when I was getting back and getting used to the matches.

“But now, since the start of the season, it’s been really, really great. I can’t complain, and my body is feeling really good.”

This week, Cilic is competing at Wimbledon for the first time since 2021. The 36-year-old arrived in south west London following a title run at the ATP Challenger Tour event in Nottingham last month and was impressive in his opening-round win against Belgian Raphael Collignon.

After four years away, Cilic is pleased to be back.

“I watched from the TV when I could in the years I did not play,” Cilic told ATPTour.com when reflecting on the years he missed. “It was not every single day but all the big matches I would still watch. Now being back, I am extremely happy and proud of myself to give myself a chance. I was really keen to get through my injuries, rehabs and finding a solution with my knee. I read so much about the surgeries and now I am here, playing well and have the chance to play a big match.”

That ‘big match’ that Cilic references is a meeting with World No. 4 and British No. 1 Jack Draper in the second round. Cilic has never faced Draper before but has been impressed with the lefty’s development.

“I’ve been watching his game a lot and he’s improved incredibly in the last two to two and a half seasons,” Cilic said. “Interestingly, we’ve never hit or played any matches, so this will be the first. He’s had an incredible 12 months, with a career-high and playing incredible tennis. There are lots of positives for him. He’s in great form, and with his age and playing at home, it’s definitely a great challenge for me. I hope to play well.”

While it will be Cilic’s first clash with Draper, the Croatian does have experience playing against a top British player at Wimbledon. In 2012, Cilic lost to Andy Murray in the fourth round in one of their 15 Lexus ATP Head2Head meetings – (12-3 Murray). US Open champion Cilic enjoyed a number of high profile clashes against three-time major winner Murray and shared his thoughts on both the Scot and Draper.

“Jack has great potential and uses it. To compare [Murray and Draper], [they have] different games. Jack plays high-risk, high-intensity tennis, not that Andy didn’t play but slightly different,” Cilic said. “Mentally, Jack is also quite hungry to win, very motivated, which is similar to Andy.”

At 36, Cilic is the fourth-oldest player in the Top 100. The Croatian made his Wimbledon debut in 2007, won his lone major in New York in 2014 and reached a career-high No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings in 2018.

After losing his ranking at the start of 2024 due to injury, many players in Cilic’s situation might have decided to hang up the racquet. So what kept Cilic motivated?

“The level. Honestly, even when I stopped, I had a great 2022 season. Then starting the 2023 season, I was really motivated to do really well,” Cilic said. “I had a solid ranking — I think 16 or 17 at the time — and some great results in the 2022 Grand Slams. I was thinking, ‘OK, let’s push for another season. Then bang — injury’.

“It wasn’t that I dropped in ranking or in my game and felt exhausted after so many years on Tour. As my rehab going and I started practising, I felt the level was there. That kept me motivated. As always, I’ve been really professional with everything, disciplined with training, and honestly, I felt responsible to give myself another chance to come back and play again.”

Now set to compete on No. 1 Court on Thursday, Cilic is looking to have fun when he meets Draper and the British crowd.

“It will be great fun for me, it will give me a good feeling, because I have done all this work and now it feels a reward and opportunity to play on the big stage against an incredible player,” Cilic said. “I am ready.”

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