Goran Ivanisevic, the charismatic, unpredictable, gifted Croatian and 2001 Wimbledon champion, may have retired a decade ago but his influence and impact reverberate still, especially through his mentoring of the current US Open champion and fellow Croat, Marin Cilic.
Ivanisevic, a six-feet-four lefty with a compact, potent serve and penetrating two-handed backhand, reached a career high ranking of two in the world in 1994, winning 22 singles and nine doubles titles before retiring in 2004.
He achieved his greatest success at the All England Club having made four finals—losing his first to Agassi in 1992 though he was the favourite, the second and third to Sampras at his prime in 1994 and 1998—before finally winning in 2001 as a wild card on a Monday final against the Australian Pat Rafter. Goran beat Roddick, Safin and Henman in a rain-delayed semi just to reach the final.
A recurring shoulder injury led to a steady slide in the rankings, culminating in his retirement from the ATP World Tour in 2004. Given a hero’s welcome following his incredible victory at the All England Club, Goran, though he did not compete, in 2005, proudly represented Croatia in Davis Cup competition, defeating Slovakia in the final round.
Mario Ancic, his Davis Cup teammate, would eventually achieve a career high ranking of seven in 2006 before a chronic viral infection compelled him to retire in 2011. Ancic, having been mentored by Goran since age ten, won three titles on the ATP World Tour in addition to five in doubles.
At six-feet-five, the right-handed Ancic played aggressively, utilising his two-handed backhand to open up the court. In addition to his success playing in the Davis Cup, Ancic teamed with fellow Croat and former world number three, Ivan Ljubicic to win the bronze medal in doubles at the Athens Olympics in 2004.
Ancic, as a teenager, made his Grand Slam debut at the All England Club in 2002 where he defeated Roger Federer, the seventh seed. A gifted grass court player, Ancic would follow up this success with a semi-final appearance at the 2004 Wimbledon Championships. Due to his consistent results on grass, many predicted he would replicate Goran’s success at the All England Club.
Sadly, mononucleosis and numerous injuries led to a precipitous drop in his ranking, forcing early retirement in 2011. During his time away from the tour, Ancic enrolled in law school, graduating in 2008. Ironically, his last appearance in a tour final would come in 2009 at the Zagreb Indoors, losing to another gifted Croatian and rising talent, Marin Cilic.
Cilic, the six-feet-six twenty-six old Croatian and reigning US Open champion, is currently ranked nine in the world, having achieved a career high ranking of eighth two months prior. At a young age, Cilic was touted as a future top ten player and was encouraged to move to Zagreb for additional training. It was here that he first encountered Goran Ivanisevic, who would become his full time coach in 2013.
Cilic first came to international prominence in 2009 where in the 4th round of the US Open he defeated then number two in the world, Andy Murray. He would carry this momentum into 2010 at the Australian Open, where he reached the semi-finals before losing to Murray in four sets.
Marin Cilic, who has thirteen career titles, won his first in 2007 at the Pilot Pen, a hard court event, the week prior to the US Open. In 2012, Cilic became the first Croatian in 22 years to win the Croatia Open, defeating Spain’s Marcel Granollers in the final. At the US Open that year, Cilic once again reached the quarters, losing to eventual champion Andy Murray despite being up 5-1 in the second set after winning the first.
This upward trajectory was thwarted the following year when Cilic received a nine month suspension for testing positive for a banned substance—allegedly “incautious use of glucose.” He appealed the ruling and the suspension was reduced from nine months to four. It was during this extremely stressful time that Marin hired Goran as his full time coach.
Cilic produced consistently strong results in 2014, reaching the quarters for the first time at the All England Club, losing to eventual champion, Novak Djokovic in five sets. Cilic entered the 2014 US Open as the 14th seed. In the quarters he defeated the 7th seed, Tomas Berdych in straights and a red-hot Federer in the semis—also in straights. This victory over Roger—his first in six meetings—earned him his first Grand Slam final. In thrilling and impressive fashion, Cilic defeated the 10th seed, Kei Nishikori—also in his first Grand Slam final—in straight sets.
Following his exceptional achievement at the US Open, Cilic would once again represent Croatia in Davis Cup filling in for the young sensation, Borna Coric in the fifth, deciding rubber against the Netherlands and with this victory, earned Croatia World Group Status for 2015.
Cilic may finally be fulfilling his promise but undoubtedly Borna Coric is the future of Croatian tennis. At just 17 years of age, Coric scored a huge upset this past fall in Basel at the Swiss Indoors, stunning and outplaying Rafa Nadal in the quarters in straight sets before losing to eventual finalist, Belgium’s David Goffin.
In 2014, Coric qualified for the main draw for the first time at the US Open where he defeated the 29th seed and fellow Nadal slayer, Lukas Rosol, before losing in the second round. On November 10, 2014, Borna Coric achieved a career high ranking of 89 on the ATP World Tour.
The six-feet-one prodigy plays right-handed with a two-handed backhand. Though aggressive, Coric manages to consistently play within himself. His serve and groundstrokes are formidable but it is his quiet resolve and steadfast focus that most impress.
Fittingly, Coric was awarded the ATP Star of Tomorrow last month for being the youngest player ranked within the top hundred. Cilic may be Croatia’s current star but Goran, as a player, mentor and coach is irrefutably Hall of fame calibre and hopefully, one day in the very near future, the international tennis community will honour Croatia’s oldest but brightest superstar.
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