Marin Cilic joins Roger Federer and Jimmy Connors in exclusive club by matching rare Miami feat

Marin Cilic gives a throwback performance at the Miami Open with a win over Nakashima

In a welcome return to form, Marin Cilic rolled back the years at the Miami Open, taking down Brandon Nakashima in three sets.

After beating former Masters champion Alexei Popyrin in the first round, Cilic came back from a set down to overcome 27th seed, Nakashima.

The Croatian will now face Alexander Zverev for the ninth time in his career.

His win over Nakashima was his best finish at a Masters event since 2022 and added another notable chapter to his career.

Marin Cilic Joins Select Group With Rare ATP Achievement

After coming from a set down against the American, Cilic became only the fourth player aged 37 or older to win a comeback match at the Miami Open.

Since the Masters format was introduced in 1990, only Roger Federer, Jimmy Connors, and Gael Monfils have achieved this feat, as noted by Opta Ace.

Cilic is aiming to reach the fourth round of an ATP Masters 1000 event for the first time since 2021. In that campaign, he made it past Lorenzo Musetti but was stopped by Andrey Rublev.

The former US Open champion’s most recent title came in Hangzhou back in 2024.

Marin Cilic’s record against Alexander Zverev ahead of the Miami Open meeting

Cilic faces a tough challenge in the third round, coming up against Zverev, a player he hasn’t beaten since 2015.

The Croatian won their first meeting in Washington back then, but have since lost seven straight matches against the German.

Zverev dominated their encounters from 2016 to 2018 and also came out on top in their last match at the Madrid Open in 2022.

They’ll meet again with a spot in the fourth round of the 2026 Miami Open on the line.

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