Cilic: "I Have a Long-Term Goal"

Marin Cilic is competing this week at the Masters 1000 thanks to a wild-card, where he will face Benjamin Bonzi in the first round.

In an interview with Spanish media Punto de Break, the 2014 US Open champion spoke about his career and how he views the future.

"I enjoy playing in Challengers because I have a long-term goal. Right now, my ranking is what it is—I’m outside the top 100 after being sidelined for nearly 20 months due to double knee surgery.

That’s tennis, an extremely tough sport where you can lose your entire ranking in just one year.

That’s when it’s time to start building from scratch, competing on the Challenger circuit and playing in these kinds of tournaments.

You have to be humble to climb back to the top, to accept this transition within the tour, even though now more than ever, you feel the respect all players have for every stage.

I’m eager to improve every day. I’m happy on the court, so we’ll see what the future holds."