Marin Cilic thanks coach and ‘dear friend’ as duo end professional pairing

Marin Cilic decided to break ties with his compatriot coach after a brief and somewhat tumultuous stint together on the tour.

The 33-year-old Croat had only been working with coach Vedran Martic since 2020, but the two have now ended their partnership.

Cilic is currently ranked at 40 in the world and is experiencing a disappointing run of form. He has lost three consecutive matches and has not played since exiting the US Open in the first round.

“Vedran Martic and I have decided to end our professional relationship,” Cilic tweeted.

“And, I would like to take a moment to thank him for his dedication, hard work, and all he has done for me as my coach.

“Of course, he stays my dear friend and Davis Cup captain.”

Martic previously coached fellow Croatian Goran Ivanisevic between 1996 and 2000. During that time, Ivanisevic reached his third Wimbledon final, in 1998, losing to Pete Sampras. Martic also coached former world number 15 Karen Khachanov between 2017 and 2020. Cilic will continue his absence from the court for the coming weeks, recently withdrawing from the upcoming Indian Wells Masters 1000 tournament. Cilic has won a title in 2021, defeating Felix Auger-Aliassime on the grass of the Stuttgart Open in early June. The trophy was his first on the ATP tour for three years, having won the Queen’s Championships in 2018.

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