THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 3, 2025

Marin Cilic

Press Conference

M. CILIC/J. Draper

6-4, 6-3, 1-6, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Marin, great result for you out there. How are you feeling?

MARIN CILIC: Yes, yes, absolutely great result (smiling), after quite some time playing in Wimbledon obviously, since '21. Also playing a player like Jack, who is in a great form, great player, home favorite.

For me I didn't have many Grand Slam victories in last couple of years, so was great to play great level from my side. A lot of time, big part of the match went into huge focus to stay in there, to play obviously this high level.

I think I executed extremely well. So just enjoying this part that I'm playing well now last few weeks. Yeah, looking forward to continue to play well.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How happy are you with the strides you made in your game since you came back? Have you found the process to be quite linear, or have you found still some ups and downs throughout the process?

MARIN CILIC: Well, I have to say that I improved a lot. It's a part to it where you feel in training you are playing well, but then also when the matches come, when new situations come in, when you have to execute, when you have to deliver on one particular point, or break point, or just to keep the level up all the time, was on and off. Some matches was okay. Some matches wasn't.

Now, last I would say actually the season started, I was extremely pleased with the level of my game. Then great part to it was playing the matches for me, just also learning about situations, adapting. Of course, experience helps in those kind of situations where you see some things in the matches. Okay, let me put that into the puzzle, let me add this. So That was a great part to it.

It's not overwhelming for me at the moment that. Okay, I won. Obviously it's a huge result, but I'm feeling quite confident in the game, that the level is there. I feel like maybe I can add couple details in the game to even be better.

Q. You had many special days in your career. Grand Slam title, Davis Cup. I'm wondering if today was one of the special days?

MARIN CILIC: Yes, yes, it was, considering everything that happened in last two, three years. If even I look at situation where I was, how my knee was like this in February '23, lots of rehab, lots of unknowns. Even coming back, the knee wasn't good. What to do then? New surgery, all these details.

Then all the time there was this spark of desire and feeling that my level is still there. Let me give myself another opportunity.

Thank God obviously now last eight, nine months I'm playing pain-free and progressing nicely, which is great. Obviously this has given me I think wind in my back being at home, not being on the tour, not being overstressed. Now feeling quite fresh.

Q. Before the match did you identify any weaknesses in Jack's came that you sought to exploit, or was it a case of playing your usual game today?

MARIN CILIC: Well, always you have to adapt. Every player is a bit different. Especially Jack, playing on grass, great lefty serve, a player who is great shot-maker off the ground, from both side really solid. Also, he's got that physical presence where he puts you also under pressure.

Then for me it was, okay, I'm going to focus on my own game, try to serve well, and be in his service games as much as I could. That was one of the great aspects of the start of the match of that first set. I even had some break point opportunities that I didn't convert. I stayed calm and then managed to make that break. Another one in the second set. That gave me a little bit of a momentum, which obviously plays a big part in these Grand Slam matches.

Q. You seem very levelheaded about this. Is that because this isn't the moment for you, this is the start of something maybe?

MARIN CILIC: No. I mean, I'm feeling obviously extremely happy, but I'm aware that I'm playing well. It's nothing unusual. Last several weeks I've been playing really well. Also, I won a challenger in Nottingham where I played some great tennis. It was just layer after layer building up. Also feeling great in the training sessions, so I've got great confidence in my own self.

Obviously these kind of matches, they challenge you to obviously perform better because the opponent on the other side of the net is going to challenge you with his own game and stuff. But I'm aware that my level is very high. If can go further, I feel it can.

Q. I think you were one of seven men's players on court today who were the age of 33 or older, Dimitrov, Novak, Monfils. Is it nice to see so many members of the old guard who are still around at this stage?

MARIN CILIC: Yes, yes, definitely. I mean, we've been so used to, I don't know, in those, let's say, 10 years ago where the average was 30-plus in the top hundred. Now the new generation came. Lots of players that are born in the '90s, beginning of the 2000s.

Yes, it's great to see them playing, continuing to play well, and use this experience to play great in Grand Slams. Quite a lot of these guys that you mentioned have been really diligent throughout their career to take care of their body, to be very professional. Also, it gives you opportunity to play at this level at that age, as well.

Q. This knee has bothered you for a long, long time, am I right?

MARIN CILIC: Uh-huh.

Q. You have followed Lindsey Vonn this winter, how she came back with a new knee? How bad was your knee? Did they have to do something specific, or did you get to the point where there's no pain just with rehab?

MARIN CILIC: Yeah, I've been following obviously Lindsey. Obviously skiing is such an extreme sport where you can't be at 99%. You have to be in incredible physical shape to sustain those speeds and everything that comes with the pressure.

So in tennis you can sort of feel it around, play it around, and maybe not be under pressure as much, but still you have to be at the 100% level.

For me, it was a question of both things. First, the knee itself and the diagnosis were quite difficult, 'cause it was a meniscus plus cartilage. So it was lucky I had no pain. Then after the first surgery, the solution hasn't been made, hasn't been done. It left me in the open field what to do then.

I went through, I don't know, hundreds of research, read on my own, got familiar so much about that aspect, and spoke with dozen of doctors who actually didn't gave me the real answer. So that was the extremely difficult part. Being an athlete and you feel, okay, you have the injury, somebody's going to solve it, but unfortunately, it wasn't like that.

Then it was basically on my own decision that I decided, okay, let me go directly to U.S. and to speak with four or five doctors and got their opinions. Luckily, I managed to find a solution.

Q. You won a challenger event a couple weeks ago in Nottingham on grass. Did that confidence from that event carry over to this match and this tournament as well? Do you think sometimes people underestimate the confidence that winning titles at either challenger or lower levels can help to the highest level here?

MARIN CILIC: Yes, yes, absolutely. I mean, I'm also that kind of a player, and I would say that 100% of the guys on the tour would agree, that you get to feel your game the best when you play matches. Especially if you are giving yourself a chance to win and give yourself that good confidence, it definitely helps out a lot.

It's true that obviously I carry that form over, but it's also how you use that information. Sometimes you can play a match, you win. Okay, forget about it. Focus on the next one.

For me, I've been really studious about what to do, what to introduce into my game, what details I might bring in, what is missing in my game to still develop it and be at top level. That's also one of the parts.

I played fantastic today, but if I can do some things better, I feel I can. So obviously it's a challenge for me to keep progressing.