Marin Cilic – Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Marin, really dominant performance today. How are you feeling about that win?

MARIN CILIC: Give me a second (smiling).

Well, what a start to the season: Carlos last week, this week Alex straightaway. Two big matches, two big opponents.

From one side you can look at it like tough draws, but on the other side it just gets the body going, gets your attention, and you got to be ready from the first point.

Today was fantastic. I mean, I don’t remember when I started so well in the match, being 4-Love up, playing fantastic tennis. Everything was working incredibly well.

Knowing how Alex is tough, especially playing him first round where it’s a little bit gusty winds, didn’t play many matches in this season, it was incredible start.

Overall I have to say it was a fantastic match, being really diligent with my game, not going too much, not being too passive. You could expect that Alex is not going to go away, that he’s going to fight until the end. It was like that.

I managed to play fantastically well in those critical points.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. This was your first top-10 win in a while, since 2022. How much does that mean to you at this point in your career, trying to come back and all that?

MARIN CILIC: Well, it means definitely a lot. But still looking into the whole season, you don’t want to say it’s only one match, but it’s a first win of the season.

Looking at the bigger picture, I want to keep this going, keep the momentum, just build up on this, try to play full season hopefully on a good level, as good as possible, to keep it like this.

This gives me great confidence knowing that I can produce still these great matches. That’s what it was all about in these last couple years. It was incredibly tough time for me battling through the injury, rehab, injury, rehab.

But I still always kept belief that the game is there. Once I’m ready, once I’m fully fit, that I can compete with these guys. That means definitely a lot.

Q. Motivation is something that is different for every player. Within your career, you probably needed different sources of motivation. At this point what is the biggest driver for you? What’s really pushing you to be out there?

MARIN CILIC: What is pushing me and what is motivationing?

Looking at it, just that I still have an opportunity to play, I still have an opportunity, too, to compete. In some space of time I felt that I’ve lost it, that I won’t be able to come back. It was tough.

But I battled it out and gave myself a chance to go at it again, to give myself another opportunity. This is what’s special about it: to enjoy, to play, to compete, to do all the things well, to travel with my family, to always push myself and to build up on these things. I have great team, great family also, which is incredibly helpful.

Also enjoying, enjoying this time of my career, feeling that I can play well. Hopefully it’s going to give me great fruits in the season.

Q. You mentioned about Alcaraz and playing Alex. Keeping up with that level of intensity, between tournaments or matches, do you do something different because you’re coming back from injuries, the age factor? Is there something different you do to take care of your body?

MARIN CILIC: Well, I wouldn’t say too different ’cause most of my career I was very diligent, very professional in these approaches to the matches, to the tournaments. I think it more or less stays the same.

I have my family with me here also traveling so I can relax with my boys, play around with them in the evening. That’s always helpful to take my mind away from tennis.

But I believe that, as any athlete, when it comes to these kind of stages of the career, the recovery is the most important. I try to take care of that the most, take care of my injuries, be diligent with my strength training, fitness training. Those are few important aspects of everything.

Q. On the back of the family aspect, do you take your boys to all the tournaments that you possibly can, get them into the sport?

MARIN CILIC: Yeah, they were with me last week. They were also with me a few tournaments end of the season. Whenever they can. Obviously when it’s convenient, I take them.

But yeah, they love sport. I play around with them with all sports, try to teach them everything. Yeah, I would love that they play tennis because it’s a beautiful game. I don’t think there is a more fairer sport than tennis. That’s going to be amazing if they do.

Q. You obviously have been in the sport for a long time, familiar with the tennis anti-doping agency. What was your reaction to how the Sinner case was handled, and the aspect of the fact there was a agreement? Is that something you knew was possible?

MARIN CILIC: Yeah, I didn’t know that was possible, especially at that stage of those cases.

For me, looking at it as a player-to-player, happy for Jannik that finally he’s going to be out of it, finally he’s going to have his mind free.

I completely believe him in his story. I know him for many years. When he was a kid, you could see he’s like a true athlete. Happy that he can go through.

But it raises questions, many questions which are not answered yet. I hope there’s going to be somebody who’s going to answer them.

Q. We’re seeing in sport the average age is going up across all sports, peak level, LeBron, Novak. At this point in your career, do you follow a bit or draw inspiration from other guys that are late 30s?

MARIN CILIC: Of course. Of course they are huge inspiration these guys that are leaders in the sport, dominating the sport, being 35-plus or even close to 40. That’s incredible. Even Novak. Roger was 40 when he was playing also incredible tennis.

I mean, science of sport just improved so much. Our rehabs, everything, fitness training, everything has improved so much. The conditions of the tournaments, facilities. Everything just helps so much for the players.

Being professional, as many of these kind of athletes are from young ages until now, I feel it gives you few more years to play, so…

Yeah, it’s good motivation.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports