Djokovic versus Cilic: The Older Generation Remains

Watching Novak Djokovic face Marin Cilic in the second round of the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Shanghai 2025 brings back memories of their rivalry from 2008 to 2022. Among the athletes in their 20s who dominate the professional men's tennis competition, Djokovic and Cilic represent an older generation that still manages to remain relevant, albeit through different paths.

The meeting at Qi Zhong Stadium, Shanghai, China, on Friday (3/10/2025) night marked the 23rd encounter between Djokovic and Cilic, but they had not faced each other since Djokovic's victory in the final of the ATP 250 tournament in Tel Aviv in October 2022. In Shanghai, Djokovic achieved his 21st victory over Cilic with a score of 7-6 (2), 6-4.

The competition between Djokovic (38 years old) and Cilic, who is just a year younger, in Shanghai is 17 years apart from their meeting that took place at the ATP Dubai in 2008. The most encounters occurred in 2014 and 2018, with four matches each year, when Cilic was at his best performance.

In 2014, Cilic won the US Open, which remains his only Grand Slam title to date. In 2018, Cilic became a finalist at the Australian Open, reached the semifinals of the ATP Masters 1000 twice, and led Croatia to victory in the men's team event of the Davis Cup. That year, Cilic also achieved his highest career ranking, reaching the third position in the world rankings.

However, after reaching the semifinals of the 2022 French Open—Cilic has managed to reach the semifinals of all Grand Slam tournaments—and the semifinals of the Davis Cup in the same year, his journey took a downturn. A right knee injury disrupted his performance in training and tournaments, leading him to participate in only two tournaments in 2023.

Cilic ultimately chose the path of surgery to address his knee issues in May 2024 and returned to the tournament three months later. He tested the strength of his knee and his physical condition by participating in two ATP Challenger tournaments, which are ranked below the ATP Tour (250, 500, and 1000).

In his third tournament during his "comeback," he won the ATP 250 in Hangzhou, China, in September 2024, but continued to struggle to compete at the ATP Tour level. Therefore, to gradually elevate his level of play, and due to his low ranking (outside the top 100 in the world), Cilic returned to the ATP Challenger tournaments.

He competed in seven ATP Challenger events from January to May 2025, which allowed him another opportunity to play in the French Open Grand Slam, although he had to start from the qualifiers. This marked Cilic's first Grand Slam since the Australian Open 2024. Additionally, for the first time since the US Open 2022, Cilic reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam when he appeared at Wimbledon. Currently, Cilic is ranked 94th after having dropped to 1,095th in July 2024.

When Cilic had to navigate a steep decline to rise slowly, Djokovic remained relatively stable in the top-tier competition. Except for the period from November 2017 to July 2018 when his performance was hindered by injury, Djokovic has maintained a position in the top ten of the world rankings since March 2007 to the present!

Then, while Cilic only participated in two tournaments in 2023, Djokovic reached the finals of all Grand Slam events, winning titles at the Australian Open, French Open, and US Open. These additional three titles made Djokovic the male singles player with the most Grand Slam titles, totaling 24.

I enjoyed the match, but, I was in so much pain.

The Wimbledon title has slipped into the hands of Carlos Alcaraz, who has ultimately become one of the two best tennis players, alongside Jannik Sinner, in the last two years. It is from these 22 and 24-year-old players that Djokovic acknowledges it will become increasingly difficult for him to compete, especially on the Grand Slam stage.

In Shanghai, Djokovic could face Sinner in the semifinals. Should that happen, it would be a repeat of the 2024 final, which Sinner won.

However, before seizing that opportunity, Djokovic had to exert all his abilities when facing Cilic. In his first appearance after being eliminated by Sinner in the US Open semifinals, Djokovic only excelled in a few crucial moments.

Cilic left him gasping for breath as he chased down a wide-angled ball. Cilic even delayed Djokovic's victory by creating a break point when his opponent had a chance to serve in the tenth game of the second set.

At nearly approaching their forties, both can demonstrate abilities that leave the audience in awe. Among them is the world-ranked 11 tennis player, Holger Rune (22 years old), who was also in attendance.

"I enjoyed the match earlier, but I suffered a lot. The competition was very tight and Marin performed better in the first set. I had to 'turn on all the engines' that I had," commented Djokovic on the official ATP website.

Djokovic also expressed his respect for Cilic for all his struggles. "We know each other well off the court because we have been on the same journey for many years. I am happy to see him back at this level," he said.

The meeting between Djokovic and Cilic, with a combined age of 75 years and 139 days, is the oldest among two players in the main draw of the ATP Masters 1000 tournament since this level was introduced in 1990. Out of 23 encounters, Djokovic and Cilic have faced each other nine times at this level, including in Shanghai 2025.

"Age is not an issue when we enter the field. We can still compete. I even feel that we are 15 years younger in the last match," said Djokovic. (AFP)