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Marin Cilic: breaking down his chances at the 2018 French Open

By Harry Floyd

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - FEBRUARY 19: Marin Cilic of Croatia returns a shot to Carlos Berlocq of Argentina during the ATP Rio Open 2018 at Jockey Club Brasileiro on February 19, 2018 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - FEBRUARY 19: Marin Cilic of Croatia returns a shot to Carlos Berlocq of Argentina during the ATP Rio Open 2018 at Jockey Club Brasileiro on February 19, 2018 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images) /
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Marin Cilic is the current world No. 3 in men’s singles tennis. He is off to a strong start on the 2018 ATP World Tour and is eyeing the French Open.

A healthy Marin Cilic must be considered one of the favorites to win the 2018 French Open. While Rafael Nadal will be the heavy favorite, Cilic remains in a position to take the Grand Slam title at Roland Garros this year. He has already reached a major tournament final in 2018, facing Roger Federer at Melbourne Park.

It was Federer who would win the title yet again at the Australian Open, but Cilic has not let up in the last year. His recent success makes him a beyond interesting player to watch moving forward. Sitting in the world No. 3 position as of right now, the Croatian tennis star brings a fantastic mix of experience and success to go along with his current momentum.

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Cilic reached the quarterfinals at the French Open last year. It was his best finish at the major tournament to date. He is, however, a Grand Slam champion in men’s singles. Having won the title at the 2014 US Open, Cilic is no stranger to the big stage. Along with his runner-up finish at Melbourne Park this year, he also previously reached the finals at Wimbledon last year.

His last twelve months on the ATP World Tour have been a whirlwind of success. Cilic’s world No. 3 ranking is the highest he has ever reached on tour. Do not discount him anytime soon. If the Croatian tennis star is healthy and in a tournament, he stands a chance at a title.

Marin Cilic needs to get past several strong players on clay at Roland Garros this year. He does, however, have the experience and talent necessary to take the title.

Last year, Nadal completed La Decima and won his tenth career title at Roland Garros. He feels right at home on clay, known to many as the King of Clay. The French Open is without a doubt one of his most comfortable times of the season. Cilic needs to get past an extremely talented field if he hopes to taste glory. Along with veterans such as Nadal and Juan Martin del Potro, young up and comers like Alexander Zverev, Dominic Thiem, or David Goffin make for interesting challengers at the upcoming Grand Slam event.

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Look for Marin Cilic to be someone to watch at the 2018 French Open. If he can maintain his current streak of success on the ATP World Tour, the world No. 3 will continue to stay atop the rankings in men’s singles. Check back to see how the Croatian great fares in the coming weeks.

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