By Erik Gudris | Tuesday, November 4, 2014
This time last year, the idea of seeing Marin Cilic at the ATP World Tour Finals in London seemed unlikely. Now the newly minted Grand Slam champion will make his first appearance at the year-end event next week.
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“This has been an amazing year for me,” Cilic said to ATP.com recently. “The best one of my career, I wouldn’t be able to imagine this kind of scenario in 2014 if someone would have told me 12 months ago all these nice things would happen to me.”
It's been a remarkable turnaround and transformation for the tall Croat who, though possessing immense talent and a huge serve, never quite lived up to his full potential after turning pro in 2005. Despite steady success since then, Cilic's career took a nosedive after he mistakenly ingested a banned substance in Monte Carlo last year. As a result, he was forced to serve out a nine-month suspension. When he came back to the tour, some wondered if he could bounce back.
That he did. Cilic joined forces with fellow Croat and former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic. The time away appeared to refocus Cilic but also make him more open to change. Cilic was ready to be better than just "good enough" to finish his career as a steady presence in the top 20.
The results quickly started to show. Cilic won Zagreb, reached the Rotterdam final, and then won Delray Beach in as many weeks during the start of the season. Ivanisevic improved Cilic's serve by making it more reliable, but he also made Cilic more aggressive and did away with Cilic's former style of waiting around on the baseline for things to happen.
Despite all the improvements, the question remained if Cilic could become a factor at the majors. He showed signs he would after narrowly losing to Roger Federer in Toronto. Cilic saved six match points before losing to Federer, but the loss suggested Cilic was on the verge of possibly beating the Swiss great for the first time should they meet again.
Cilic, upon reaching the US Open, started defying other's expectations and probably surpassed his own with his performance in New York.
Using his improved serve and new confidence, Cilic became unstoppable in the final rounds. After dismissing Tomas Berdych, Cilic found himself facing Federer again, this time in the semifinals. A straight sets result was expected, but not in favor of Cilic who finally beat Federer for the first time en route to reaching his first major final. Cilic didn't let the occasion overwhelm him as he blazed past Kei Nishikori to win the US Open.
After years of uncertainty and unfulfilled promise, Cilic found himself literally on top of the world as he stood at the Empire State Building with his trophy.
Even after his well-earned Grand Slam title, Cilic still has something to prove in London. The indoor conditions should suit his big serving game. But can he replicate his New York results, especially against World No. 1 Novak Djokovic who he will face early in the round robin? Will Cilic play like he's just "happy to be there"? Or will he compete with the conviction that he truly belongs among the elite of the sport? 2014 proved to be a breakthrough season for Cilic. A strong showing in London would certainly indicate Cilic is ready for even bigger success next year.
Having that opportunity is something few would have predicted this time last year. Even Marin Cilic himself might have agreed with that. But thankfully for himself, Cilic proved that taking one's destiny in your own hands and not settling for what is expected of you is the best way to go from an uncertain future to a certain and definitive triumph.
Season Highlights:
54 Wins, 18 Losses
Winner - Zagreb, Delray Beach, US Open, Moscow
Finalist - Rotterdam
Best Result at Year-End Championships - First Appearance
(Photo Credit: Getty)