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Croatian tennis player Marin Cilic recently provided an update on his recovery after withdrawing from the upcoming Libema Open.
The former World No. 3 last played on the tour at the 2023 Maharashtra Open, an ATP 250 tournament held in Pune, India. Seeded No. 1 at the tournament, Cilic withdrew due to a knee injury after winning his first match.
Despite traveling to Australia with the intention of taking part in the Melbourne Major, the veteran revealed on social media that he would be missing the season's first Grand Slam. Soon after, the 34-year-old went under the knife and had a successful knee surgery.
Cilic was all set to make his comeback at the Libema Open, which is scheduled to commence on Monday, June 12. However, he announced his withdrawal from the grass-court tournament while updating the tennis world on his injury.
The World No. 22 assured his fans that his comeback was close as he was "eager to play tournaments."
"Hey guys! Quick update: Even though my team and I made the difficult decision to skip @libemaopen next week, I am very close to a return to competitive tennis and eager to play tournaments," Cilic wrote.
The 2014 US Open winner also elaborated on his knee injury and his recovery, saying that the process would take time but he was willing to abide by it.
"My knee has been responding well to a heavy load of training, but we assessed that some extra time will give me better preparation and assurance. The process is long but I am patient in order to be 100% ready," he added.
Marin Cilic reached the semifinals of the 2022 French Open
An injury sidelined Marin Cilic at the ongoing tournament in Paris but he reached the semifinals of the French Open last year, which was the Croatian's best result in the tournament.
The former US Open winner was ranked No. 23 when he kicked off his 2022 Roland Garros campaign against Attila Balazs. Cilic caused a major upset in the fourth round when he defeated former World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev in straight sets.
Up against another Russian, Andrey Rublev, in the quarterfinals, Marin Cilic held onto his nerves as he beat him 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(2) to qualify for his maiden Roland Garros semifinal. However, his impressive run was brought to an end by eventual runner-up Casper Ruud, who won 3-6, 6-4, 6-2, 6-2.
On Sunday, Ruud will take on Djokovic in the final of the 2023 French Open.
