Ever since suffering a knee injury two years back, things have gone downhill for Marin Cilic. He missed the 2023 season due to a torn lateral meniscus and broken cartilage. However, the issue resurfaced last year, and Cilic underwent a second surgery in May 2024. However, he has put these issues behind him this year and even won a title on the ATP Challenger Tour recently. Earlier today, he was involved in an enthralling clash in the Davis Cup, but was left red-faced after a bizarre error from the umpire.

In the Davis Cup Qualifiers second round, Croatia was up against France. France was leading 2-1 when Cilic stepped out for his match against Corentin Moutet. It was a must-win game for the 2014 US Open champion, who tried to put his best foot forward. However, during an important phase of the match, a line call went against Cilic, which left him angry.

To everyone’s surprise, the umpire even stepped out of the seat to have a look at the ball mark. However, the umpire pointed to an incorrect mark, which made Cilic furious, and his opponent was gifted three break-point opportunities. Subsequently, he approached the chair umpire in frustration and made his feelings felt. It was not a pleasant sight to see from the former US Open champion, who was defeated 7-5, 6-4 by Moutet. With this, France took the tie 3-1 and advanced to the Davis Cup Finals.

Once ranked as high as Number 3 in the world, Cilic has dropped out of the top 50 of the ATP rankings. Despite facing numerous injury setbacks, he has been determined to represent his country. “Unfortunately, I had a few minor setbacks come up during my preseason training and want to make sure those are 100% ready before I get back to competing. I’m doing everything I can to get back on tour as soon as possible and hope to join team Croatia in Osijek for the Davis Cup,” Cilic said earlier this year, as he was committed to leading Croatia’s charge in the Davis Cup.

Meanwhile, Cilic has often been questioned about why he decided to return to the court after having two knee surgeries. However, the former US Open champion wants to continue playing for the love of the sport.

Marin Cilic refuses to give up on his career

At 36, Cilic is clearly past his glory days in the sport and not in the best of physical shape. However, he has given almost two decades to the sport and doesn’t want to call time on his illustrious career yet. During an interview, Cilic quashed retirement rumors and insisted that he is here to stay.

He said, “A lot of people have asked me why the hell I was going through this after all I already had done in my career! During my whole career, I’ve been really professional and disciplined. I’ve always trained, planned things well, and never played too many tournaments to keep the best possible physical shape.”

He also added, “So wondering if I should stop now just because I have to do the surgery? I wanted to come back, and luckily, my family situation was great. My boys are still small; they’re four – almost five – and three, so I felt good motivation and support from them, from my wife.”

While it wasn’t the way Cilic would’ve liked his Davis Cup tie to end, his fans would hope that it is not the end of Cilic in this tournament. Can he come back strongly after this unfortunate incident? Let us know your views in the comments below.