Wimbledon 2025: Marin Cilic Becomes the Comeback Story of the Tournament
Cilic upset No. 4 Jack Draper in the second round adding to the record number of top seeds crashing out at the All England Club.
Around this time last year, Marin Cilic was ranked No. 1,078. Now he’s Wimbledon’s biggest comeback story.
The 2014 US Open champion defeated No. 4 Jack Draper 6-4, 6-3, 1-6, 6-4 to advance to the third round. Draper became the latest top seed to fall at Wimbledon. He was the second British player to lose today. Novak Djokovic defeated Daniel Evans 6-3, 6-2, 6-0.
But for British fans, Draper’s loss was shocking. Draper was one of the favorites, behind Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Djokovic. I wasn’t shocked.
If you follow tennis, you know Cilic, 36, had the skills to beat Draper. I’ve always been a Cilic fan. He and Juan Martin del Potro were my favorite big guys. They were agile big dudes before that was common in tennis. At 6’6”, Cilic served aces as well as the serve bots. Like DelPo, Cilic’s forehand had that scary power. And he moved well. He’s not as quick as Djokovic. But Cilic hits the ball so hard and flat that he doesn’t have to be as nimble as Djokovic. It’s Wimbledon, and even with fluffier balls and slower courts, the surface is still fast.
His grass-court game was never in question. He won Wimbledon as a junior and reached the final in 2017, where he was defeated by Roger Federer. From 2014 to 2017, Cilic reached the quarterfinals or better at Wimbledon. In 2018, he reached the final at the Australian Open and climbed to a career-high No. 3.
Cilic accomplished all that in the era of the Big Three. So when he won his first-round match, I thought, hmmmm, Cilic can beat Draper. But I wondered if Cilic had the stamina, especially against a 23-year-old.
Cilic is not even close to being the oldest player in the draw. Djokovic is 38, Gael Monfils is 38 going on 39. Roberto Bautista Agut, who lost in the first round, is 37, and Adrian Mannarino, who also reached the third round, is 37. But Cilic is playing on a reconstructed knee. In 2022, Cilic made it to the semifinals at the French Open, finished the season ranked No. 17, and looked forward to his 2023 season. However, at the start of that season, he underwent knee surgery. After a lengthy recovery and rehab, in 2024, Cilic had a second surgery.
Cilic’s 2025 ATP Tour record heading into Wimbledon was 2-4. However, that’s mainly because he spent most of the year on the Challenger Tour trying to regain his form. Now he’s in the third round at Wimbledon. His next opponent is Spaniard Jaume Munar, 28, who is in the third round at Wimbledon for the first time. Cilic is 2-0 against Munar.
Cilic’s wife and children were there to watch. He said chasing his kids around keeps him in great shape. Sure, Draper's disappointment was hard to see. But it’s hard not to root for Cilic, the tournament’s comeback story.
Before his match against Draper, Cilic spoke with the ATP Tour about overcoming injuries and working his way back.
“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, rehab, and find a solution with my knee,” said Cilic. “I read so much about the surgeries, and now I am here, playing well and have the chance to play a big match.”
And wow, what a match you played. Welcome back, champ.