Marin Cilic: The international man of intrigue returns to prominence

The intriguing Marin Cilic

We all know someone like him. He is the guy who flits around the corners of our lives, who goes about his business in an understated, unobtrusive manner. He is quiet, personable and agreeable enough, without ever vying for the spotlight. And we think that the little we know about him is all we need to know.

Until something unexpected happens; an unknown fact turns up. And suddenly, our perception about him changes. He is now an individual with shades of grey, a personality with unknown motives, a man of intrigue. We are now fascinated by each move he makes, and want to know more.

In the men’s tennis world today, that man is Marin Cilic.

As a regular follower of the Chennai Open, my first up-close introduction to Cilic was during his consecutive title runs in 2009 and 2010 at Chennai. He was a dignified champion, who didn’t extol his victories from the rooftops, neither did he let the occasional defeat affect him too badly. He always seemed to have the time to sign that extra autograph, to thank the ball boys, and to generally play Mr. Nice. At the same time, there was something missing – the extra spark of charisma – which could transport him from a tennis champion to an international star. His game, with its all-round efficiency but lack of a singular weapon, only further contributed to his inability to stand out among the very best on the professional tour.

Nevertheless, he soldiered on, and the results were showing. He was gradually becoming a regular fixture in the top-tier of men’s tennis. His ATP ranking rose to a high of 9 in the world and threatened to rise even higher. I liked Marin Cilic, and I wished him well. I liked his solid game, and I liked his understated personality. I hoped he would be next in the long line of Croat, bean-pole tennis stars.

As a result, the developments of mid-2013 came as a personal shock. First, Cilic withdrew before his second round match at Wimbledon, citing a knee injury. At that time, it seemed to be just another player retirement in what was already a bizarre Wimbledon. But soon, reports emerged that Cilic had tested positive for a banned drug, and had already begun serving a 9-month suspension for doping. The rationale for a ‘silent ban’ and its impact on the game was heavily debated. Along with Viktor Troicki’s case, this was fast turning into the tennis scandal of the year. The man who had always worked in the shadows, was now being pushed into the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.

But just as the crucifixes were being brandished, Cilic’s appeal to the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) against the original decision of the independent ITF tribunal was upheld, at least partially. The CAS found the tribunal’s punishment to be “too severe in view of the degree of the fault”, that Cilic had been guilty of “negligence” and not “performance enhancement”, and a recommendation was made to reduce the suspension period from 9 months to 4 months, which Cilic had already served by then.

The ITF tribunal’s decision summary, which makes for interesting reading, and the subsequent CAS repeal, only served to position Cilic as a tragic figure. He was now a victim of unfortunate circumstances, guilty of nothing more than misunderstanding what a drug label meant because he didn’t know French.

What the tribunal summary also gave us were some additional insights which added layers to our understanding about the man. Cilic was extremely close to his family, in the sense that they were even part of his travelling tennis team. In an ironic twist, it was his mother, in fact, who had made the fatal, unwitting purchase of the banned substance from a Monte Carlo pharmacy. It also emerged that his Australian coach, Bob Brett, was not getting along well with Cilic’s family, and this was causing strain on the player. In the wake of the ban, Cilic and Brett would soon part ways. Thus, this period of intense personal turmoil for the unassuming Croat ended up telling us more about him than we ever knew before. Marin Cilic was now a real, human, largely sympathetic figure for us.

This story is relevant today, since we might be seeing its happier, feel-good sections being played out currently. Cilic’s return to professional tennis, which began late last year, has started to pick up steam now. He just had one of his most successful fortnights, winning his 10th ATP singles title at his home event in Zagreb, Croatia, and following that up with a final appearance at the ATP 500 event in Rotterdam last weekend. In the latter tournament, he beat the likes of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Andy Murray, before falling to Tomas Berdych in the final. From a ranking of 47 when he rejoined the tour, Cilic has now climbed up to 29 in the world.

Cilic is clearly enjoying his new lease of life. In all probability, he sees the world in a new light, walks with an additional spring in his steps, and is focused on getting back to where he belongs in the tennis hierarchy. He definitely seems to be making up for lost time, as he currently plays in his third consecutive tournament in as many weeks, this time in Delray Beach, USA.

Over the last few months, Cilic has also been working with a new coach – the ever-charismatic, flamboyant, original Croat bean-pole, Goran Ivanisevic. Cilic’s latest results seem to indicate that this team might be one to look out for. At a time when tennis legends taking up coaching duties is a popular phenomenon, will this unlikely partnership turn out to be the dark horse in the honours race?

As far as Marin Cilic is concerned, he will be happy that this is the most intriguing question he needs to face in the near future.