Photo credit: Tim Clayton/Getty
Wimbledon—Knocked out by a knee injury in recent years, Marin Cilic is flying high again at Wimbledon.
Straddling the baseline like a launching pad, Cilic cracked one final forehand drive down the line capping a commanding 6-4, 6-3, 1-6, 6-4 triumph over fourth-seeded Briton Jack Draper in a rousing Wimbledon second-round upset on Court No. 1.
In his first Wimbledon appearance since 2021, former US Open champion Cilic competed with class and conviction. Cilic outplayed Draper for two sets and kept calm at closing time, cracking serve in the final game in dispatching Draper and breaking British hearts in the process.
"Yeah, very frustrated," Draper said. "Obviously, really upset. Probably one of the toughest losses I feel.
"Thought Cilic played an incredible match from start to finish. Didn't let up. Yeah, he deserved the win."
Cilic’s wife, Christina, and the couple’s children leaped out of their seats in the support box in celebration while the former Wimbledon finalist pumped his fist toward his box with a wide smile plastered across his face.
“Emotions are just incredible,” Cilic said. “Where I was three years ago I can’t even describe.
“It’s been a long journey. To come back and play this kind of level with this crowd against Jack it’s just incredible. Thanks everyone for great sportsmanship.”
Across the net, a gutted Draper waved to adoring fans walking off after failing to reach the third round in his fourth career Wimbledon appearances.
Knee surgery in 2023 limited Cilic to just six events between January 2023 and August 2024, but the 2014 US Open champion remained committed to his comeback dream.
The 36-year-old Cilic scored just his fourth Tour-level win of this season, but he carried the confidence from winning the Nottingham Challenger and exuded intensity from the start on No. 1 Court today.
“Obviously, it’s been a whole career, my whole life I’ve been training,” Cilic said. “Last several weeks in UK, [I was] winning matches. I’m in great form and just feeling great and hope I can continue to play well.”
Indeed, Cilic knows his way around British lawns. A two-time Queen’s Club champion, Cilic saved a championship point toppling Grand Slam king Novak Djokovic in the 2018 Queen’s Club final.
The bearded big man was in no mood for close shaves today.
Cilic cranked 16 aces, won 60 percent of his second serve points and pounded 53 winners—24 more than Draper—in a two hour, 39 triumph.
It came hours after seven-time champion Djokovic dismantled British wild card Dan Evans 6-3, 6-2, 6-0 in one of his finest performances of the season on Centre Court.
The 83rd-ranked Cilic showed the form that made him a world No. 3 and crucially did not blink in the latter stages of the fourth set.
A day that began with British fans popping champagne corks on Henman Hill ended with them drinking in deep disappointment—as well as admiration for Cilic’s commitment to the cause.
Draper rode his ferocious left-handed forehand the 2024 US Open semifinals and the Indian Wells championship in March. Today, Draper’s forehand fed into Cilic’s sturdiest shot—his two-handed backhand—and the lanky Croatian lashed his backhand with pace and depth.
Blisters on his feet left Cilic near tears in his 2017 Wimbledon final loss to Roger Federer.
Facing Britain’s best hope, Cilic barely put a foot wrong in the opening set today. The heavy-hitting Croatian won 14 of 16 first-serve points and denied the long break point he faced snatching a one-set lead on the strength of aggressive serving and a single break.
The Draper lefty forehand can be a laser, but he was sometimes leaving that shot in the middle of No. 1 Court. Cilic was pouncing on any semi-short ball he saw and often blistering diagonal forehands into the corners.
Though Cilic couldn’t buy a first serve for stretches of the second set, he backed his second serve shrewdly. Firing a 15th forehand winner down the line helped Cilic stretch his lead to 6-4, 4-1 lead. Stamping a love hold, Cilic surged ahead 5-2 after just 75 minutes of play.
"He's always been someone who's just been the ultimate pro and can play incredible. I don't play many people on the tour that I feel like they completely bully me and take the racquet out of my hand," Draper said of Cilic. "I know it's a grass court. I'm not sure what his stats were, but I'm sure he had an amazing match from the winners to unforced errors count.
"Like I said, he deserved to win. He's a great player. Someone I have huge respect for, for what he's doing. Obviously come back from injury. He was the much better player than me today.
"He deserved to win. Am I surprised by his level? No, he's one of the great players, he's won a Grand Slam. He deserves it."
A confident Cilic cracked a wide serve closing a two-set lead with an extended fist pump to his box.
A frustrated Draper plopped down in his court-side seat and exhaled deeply.
Hitting his forehand with more venom, Draper earned triple break point in the fourth game of the third set. Cilic saved the first two break points. Bouncing the ball repeatedly before serving the third, Cilic could not handle a bold backhand down the line from Draper, who broke for the first time all day for a 3-1 lead. Draper threw down an ace down the T to back up the break for 4-1.
As the edge came off Cilic’s sharp first two sets he sprayed a couple of backhands wide and Draper scored his second straight break for 5-1.
After looking down and out in a two-set hole, Draper was revitalized rolling through the third set with some stinging serves. Draper smacked six aces in that third set to put himself right back in the match.
Deadlocked at 4-all in the fourth set, Cilic cranked consecutive aces. Draper drew even at 30-all, but Cilic answered with an ace out wide edging ahead 5-4 and shifting pressure right back on Draper’s shoulders.
On the first point of the 10th game, Cilic had an easy short forehand but gagged and smothered it into net. That was his first real sign of nerves in the set and offered an opening to Draper.
Two points later, Draper tightened up, bumping a backhand drop shot into net to fall into a 15-30 hole.
The bearded big man belted a forehand down the line for match point at 30-40 on the Briton’s serve.
In the ensuing 20-shot rally, Cilic leaned low to fight off some deep drives before drilling one final drive down the line.
Cilic continues a comeback dream run facing Jaume Munar in round three, while Draper is left ruing an opportunity lost.