LONDON: Competing in the shadows of some of his rivals on the tour is something that is not of concern for Marin Cilic.
The world No.6 is one of the few players to have claimed a grand slam title during the era of the big four. A name associated with the group of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray. Cilic’s triumph occurred during the 2014 US Open where he defeated Kei Nishikori in the final. Since 2006 only three plays outside of the Big Four have claimed major titles. Cilic, Juan Martin del Potro and Stan Wawrinka.
“I’m getting good exposure and better exposure much more. It’s that kind of field that we are playing in, that we are living in.” Cilic commented about the current landscape of the men’s tour.
“The top four, five players (including Stan Wawrinka) have been winning most of the grand slams over the last 10, 11, 12 years.”
It is easy to overlook the accomplishments of the 29-year-old, who has 17 ATP titles to his name. He is only one of three Croatians to have ever won a grand slam title and became the first from his country to reach an Australian Open final this year. Despite the milestones, Cilic is not envious of the media attention that is often focused on some of his rivals instead of him.
“I’m not underestimated (on the tour), it’s just that time (era), Obviously the media is always trying to expose the best players there are.” He said.
Cilic will kick-start his grass season at the Fever-Tree Championships. A tournament he won back in 2012 and was runner-up in 2013 and 2017. During the 2017 season he achieved his best ever run at Wimbledon. Finishing runner-up to Roger Federer during a final where he was troubled by foot blister. Hoping to go one better this time round, Cilic is relishing the challenge.
“Last year was the best year for me on the grass. I reached the final at Queen’s and played amazing tennis at Wimbledon. It is a good base for this year.” The Croat explained.
“Obviously, it’s going to be tough to match that again, but that’s another challenge and I’m looking forward to it.”
The No.1 dream
Despite being hampered by a recent knee injury, Cilic has maintained his consistency on the tour this year. Reaching the quarter-finals at five out of his past nine tournaments and winning 22 out of 31 matches played (including the Davis Cup). Asked about his run, he has put it down to finding a ‘good balance’ between training and recovery.
“Within in the past 12-18 months I would say that I am getting better with my consistency level.” He analysed.
“At the highest level I always knew I could compete with the best guys, but my highest level is becoming more regular on the court.”
Not to be contempt by his current position on the tour, Cilic has his eyes on reaching the pinnacle of the ATP Emirates rankings. He is almost 4000 points adrift from the No.1 position, but he has been ranked as high as three earlier in the year. Should he achieve the landmark, he would follow in the footsteps of former coach Goran Ivanisevic as the only Croatians No.1s.
“The ultimate goal is to reach number one.” He stated.
“For me the most important is to improve and get myself at the top and stay there consistently throughout the years. Last year was the first year I started and finished inside the top 10. This year I started at number six and I’m floating between three and five. Those are great signs that I am sticking at the top.”
Cilic will start his campaign at Queen’s against Spain’s Fernando Verdasco.
