Marin Cilic on tennis’ evolution: ‘I think it came out of nowhere’ | ATP Tour

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Marin Cilic on tennis’ evolution: ‘I think it came out of nowhere’

Croatian reflects on his level, changes to the sport and more at Melbourne Park

January 20, 2026

Marin Cilic got off to a good start at the 2026 Australian Open with a 6-0, 6-0, 7-6(3) victory over Daniel Altmaier on Monday. The Croatian, now 37 and ranked 70 in the PIF ATP Rankings, proved during his run to the final in 2018 that he still has what it takes to play great tennis.

Cilic shook hands with Denis Shapovalov during a post-match interview with the media, and the latter even joked that the 2019 or 2016 Marin Cilic was back. The former world No. 3 Marin joked that it was 2014, the year he won the U.S. Open.

ATPTour.com spoke with Cilic about his game, traveling with his family, the evolution of the sport and more.

Today you won the first two sets without losing a single game. When you’re playing well, obviously your tennis is still on top, so when you feel like you’re playing like that, what’s going through your mind?
For me, this level comes from the feeling in training. I see where I am now, I see where my body is going throughout 2025, especially in the offseason. I’m obviously also paying attention to what other people are doing, what their daily routines are, and how my body compares to theirs.

Obviously, my body is not the same as it was when I was 26 or 27 years old. However, I still feel like I’m at a high level, which gives me great satisfaction because I’m still able to play great tennis. This is exciting for us and my team.

Your family is in Melbourne, including your two sons, so now they’ve played in all four Grand Slams. How far are you still working so that they can experience this with you?
I push myself first because I have a lot of support from my family. On the other hand, they are able to travel, so balancing makes things easier. If they were at home and not traveling and I was on the road, it wouldn’t work because it would break very quickly. I would miss home and they would miss me; it just wouldn’t work because the boys are six and four now and it would be too much.

On the other hand, they love traveling and I also feel like I’m in a really good place physically and with my game. I feel like I can challenge myself this season and see how far I can go. I added another team member to my team, Mate Delic, who has worked with Borna Coric and Borna Gojo for a few years, so he is very knowledgeable. He is also a great player and we are very good friends. I also think it’s another motivation to do better and do better this season.

People like your opponent Roger Federer have played around Melbourne Park and you’re still playing at such a high level on the court. How rewarding is that for you?
It’s beautiful because I still love what I do. And then, obviously it was a bonus because when I was young – 15, 16 years old – I started with a very good work ethic, discipline, professionalism, always having a whole team with me to take care of my body. I’m planning my schedule, planning my breaks, and peaking in training. When you add all these things up over five, 10, 15 years, the body rewarded me with another couple of great seasons. I’m enjoying the results of that, so that’s really cool.

How interesting is it for you to see how the game has changed from when Roger and Rafa started, and how players like Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are performing?
What’s interesting is the changes to the game, I think it came out of nowhere without any influence from anyone. I think it’s also because of COVID times… if you go and talk to the top 100 or top 200 players on tour, the average racquet weight is 305 grams, 310 grams. This was not something you would have seen in the last 10 or 20 years of the 2000s or 2010s. Most people play with 330g, 340g, and 345g rackets.

I would say my own racket is one of the heaviest on tour. So things changed and the game became about power and speed. Everyone’s athleticism is incredible. Everyone can hit the ball bigger, but that changes the direction of the game a little bit: “Who’s going to hit it bigger and harder?” Who’s going to be incredibly athletic? And then it takes away some of the complexity of the game, playing cat and mouse, just a different style of game, that we’ve had over the last 15 to 20 years.

Do you just focus on what you do, or do you redesign your game to evolve a little bit to face these opponents?
You try to adapt because obviously, times have changed and if you wait for change to come back, you’re in the wrong place. You have to adapt to what’s going on and adapt to your needs. It’s definitely changed, so you have to really pay attention to what’s going on and try to do the best you can.

Some people might say they’d love to play Roger or someone else in the game. You’ve played against all of them during your time on tour…if you could play a match, which opponent would be the most appealing to you?
When you look back, there have been some incredible champions who have shaped tennis [at] The beginning of tennis [like] Rod Laver, how much he accomplished in his time, how many Grand Slams he won. He hasn’t played in six years [in them] Because he was considered a pro, he undoubtedly shaped the sport.

Then there are Borg, McEnroe, Connors, players after the 1990s [with] Sampras, Agassi, all these guys. It would be incredible to go back in time and play with Borg or even Mats Wilander or Rod Laver.