Marin Cilic is the ATP World #47, a Croatian veteran and the 2014 US Open champion who stands 6’6” and has used that frame to build one of the most effective serve-based games of his generation. Born in Medjugorje, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cilic represents Croatia and has been the country’s most successful male tennis player since Goran Ivanisevic won Wimbledon in 2001.
His US Open title in 2014 remains one of the most dominant Grand Slam performances of the decade. Cilic dropped just one set across seven matches, defeating Kei Nishikori in the final with a serving display that left his opponent helpless. That tournament showcased everything his game can produce when firing: a serve that lands consistently above 130 mph, a forehand struck with tremendous leverage from his height, and movement that belies his size. He reached two more Grand Slam finals, losing to Roger Federer at Wimbledon 2017 in a match where he was hampered by a foot blister, and to Federer again at the 2018 Australian Open in a five-set final.
Three Grand Slam finals and one title place Cilic among the most accomplished players of his era, even if his career overlapped with the dominance of Djokovic, Federer, and Nadal. His coaching partnership with Goran Ivanisevic, himself a grass-court champion with a legendary serve, helped shape the serve-and-volley elements of Cilic’s game. In the later stages of his career, Cilic has remained competitive through his serving prowess, which ages better than games built on pure athleticism and court coverage.
Croatia is a small country with an outsized tennis legacy. Ivanisevic’s Wimbledon title in 2001 and Cilic’s US Open in 2014 are two of the great underdog stories in Grand Slam history, and Cilic’s continued presence on tour extends that tradition.
The 2026 Grand Slam season includes the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the US Open. Check Croatia time to convert match schedules.