THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 7, 2025

Marin Cilic

Press Conference

F. COBOLLI/M. Cilic

6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Tough one today. Talk a little bit about the match and how you were feeling out there.

MARIN CILIC: Well, the match was not easy to play because it was very windy, difficult conditions to play. Then Flavio played, like, honestly great level. First two and a half sets, even three sets he played great level. Not many things that he did wrong.

He was doing lots of things very clean, served well, and then was definitely putting me in a lot of tough positions. Then, you know, just unfortunate I had a break in the fourth set, up a break and then just, you know, lost a serve there. Tiebreak, tough always. A little bit of lottery.

Yeah, a bit disappointing to go out. I felt that there was possibly a good chance to come back in the fourth and to have some good energy in the fifth.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. That service game in the fourth, that the only regret you have? It was such a close match. Is this the only thing you would do differently?

MARIN CILIC: I was just, you know, even talking with the tournament about the scheduling. I don't like to speak about the conditions. You know, okay, I lost and everything. I have to accept it. Flavio played fantastically and obviously great for him, first time in the quarterfinals.

But, you know, I feel bitter because why is there a need to play at 11:00, where even the practice courts open at 9:30? This morning I was warming up indoors. You wake up at 6:00 a.m. Okay, it's, you know, all the matches in the earlier rounds, okay, starting at 11:00, but we have last 16.

It's raining overnight, and the court was quite soft. I mean, I don't know if you watched the match. It was really difficult to play on. You just push the ball in the middle of the court, and the ball just stays super low. It was just a struggle.

So even at that game at 4-3 up, a great serve, 30-Love, great serve. Just a little bit of a shank return. The ball just stays below the net. 30-15 again, the same point. You know, it was just more of finding the way sort of to win and to play in the conditions than to play actually, you know, focus on the game and to play the best you can.

Q. When you see the order of play then maybe the day before and you know the weather is coming, is there any chance that you can talk to the organizers, or is there any conversations had?

MARIN CILIC: Well, okay, you are starting, the court was fine. Okay, no problem, you know? Even I saw some of the matches some on Court 12, I felt the court was very slow and very similar to this Court 2. I didn't know if it was also the same for Court 2.

So at 11:00, okay, accept it, fine. Get here, play. But if the court was fine, then okay, you play. You can't really -- even when you starting the match, you can't really do anything. So, yeah, it is as it is.

Q. Are you still going to look back at the tournament thinking it was a great one, or is this maybe a little disappointment that's going to spoil the whole thing?

MARIN CILIC: No, absolutely. I have great, you know, encouragement, happiness, positive attitude, and positive outcomes out of the tournament. In a while I haven't played some Grand Slams on this kind of level. So I found great form, played some fantastic tennis. Even today was quite close.

It is a little bit bitter knowing that, okay, if this, if that, maybe could have been, but it is what it is. We go forward.

Q. What was it to share that with the kids? Now they're older. They can understand what Daddy doing.

MARIN CILIC: Yeah, it was amazing to create these memories, you know, for our family. It was fantastic. My older one is -- and both of them -- cheering me on, like showing me the fists of single point during the match. They were so emotional and was great.

Some great photos as well. People after some of the matches, people recognizing them and just high-fiving them. It was just amazing.

Yeah, I hope to keep going on this wave, and we'll see what time will bring.

Q. I think this is your 15th Wimbledon. I think I liked what you said last week about the line judges being part of the family. I think after yesterday's error, did you lose trust at all with Hawk-Eye while you joined these Championships?

MARIN CILIC: Even in my match with Munar on Court 18 there was some weird. Even today there was one weird. I felt like I missed a serve by this much, and it was called in. Some was out. I don't think there is a necessity.

I don't know if it's easier, you know, for the tournament. Okay, you just put the electronic line calling. I have no idea. Just what is the setup, the details? That's your field of work to just a little bit research and stuff.

For years the line judges were doing great. Maybe there is a mistake. You know, that's okay. You have still a challenge which you can use. You have enough or even if you were just questioning that, you can increase from three to four.

But, you know, I see no reason just to have no line judges because also for them, if you look at years in the past, all the chair umpires that are now, they were at the moment line judges finals of Wimbledon, finals of US Open, you know, big tournaments. Then, okay, they have this experience. They come to the chair. What happens now?

If all the tour does electronic line calling, how do you get to chair umpire? Where is your experience? So, you know...

Q. Your own serve go out and in your head are you going, Okay. Do you just carry on?

MARIN CILIC: What can you do? On the other side, I felt like missed by this much. Okay, the ball is in. Did I see wrong or what? I mean, I have no idea.

Then on the other side he sort of hit some balls quite long, and then it's like on the Hawk-Eye it's like a mil... I left it like I wouldn't play it at all. Then chair umpire can't do anything because it's only electronic line calling.

Q. Your schedule now, because of the ranking you're going to be changing things or...

MARIN CILIC: Well, I'm not exactly sure because I entered Gstaad and Kitzbuhel, which is next week and week after, because I find it a little bit possibly long to go to U.S. and to play everything in U.S. I'll see just with the team what will be better.

I don't know. I didn't enter. Well, I wasn't in in Toronto anyway. But for example, for Cincy, if I get in, still it's quite early. By the time you get to US Open, possibly you are losing the sharpness. I'll see. Not sure yet.