Full name – Marin ?ili?
Date of Birth – 28 September 1988
Nationality – Croatian
Role – Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Coach – Vedran Marti?, Vilim Višak
Current Ranking – No. 37
Highest Ranking – No. 3 (29 January 2018)
Career Earnings – US$28,685,287
Win/Loss – 533/294
ATP Titles – 19
Grand Slams – 1
About
Having had a natural inclination towards the sport from a young age, Marin ?ili?’s parents built him a young court in their backyard to help their child follow his dream. By the age of eight, ?ili? had won his first trophy.
?ili? shot to international recognition with his 2005 French Open Boys’ Singles title. The 2008 Connecticut Open saw the Croatian take his first ATP singles title. After struggling to win a Grand Slam title for the next few years, ?ili? took his maiden and only Grand Slam title till date at the 2014 US Open defeating Kei Nishikori in the final.
2017 saw ?ili? reach his first ever Wimbledon final where he lost to Roger Federer. He started off 2018 strongly as the runner-up in the Australian Open. And after two years of struggle, ?ili? won his first singles title in 2021 at the Stuttgart Open – his first title in three years.
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Best Finishes in each Grand Slam
Australian Open: Final (2018)
French Open: Quarter Final (2017, 2018)
Wimbledon: Final (2017)
US Open: Champion (2014)
Style of Play
An aggressive baseliner, ?ili? is someone who takes the fight to his opponents. He is also known for using his height to his advantage to cover a wider distance.
Known for his clinical and fiery serves, ?ili?’s service is an important part of his game
Sponsorship & Endorsements
HEAD – After ?ili?’s deal with FILA ended, ?ili? signed up with Austrian brand HEAD as his principal sportswear and racquet supplier. ?ili? uses the HEAD Prestige Mid racquet.
Capri Watch – Having signed up with the Italian watchmakers in 2016, ?ili? sports Capri watches both on and off the court.
Ebix – Marin ?ili? signed up with the Johns Creek, Georgia-headquartered insurance software solutions provider as its brand ambassador prior to the 2018 FIFA Men’s World Cup. Along with partnering Ebix over social media advertising, ?ili? also wears Ebix-branded patch on his apparel as part of the partnership.
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Previous Deals
FILA – ?ili? started off his career by being sponsored by the Biella-founded, Seoul-headquartered sportswear manufacturer and was re-signed as its brand ambassador in 2016 on a multi-year deal. ?ili? had first tied up with FILA when he was 16 years old. As part of the deal, ?ili? sported FILA apparel on court along with its footwear too.
Li-Ning – ?ili? shifted from his first stint with FILA to Li-Ning-sponsored apparel and footwear on the court between 2011 – 2016. Li-Ning, China’s Beijing-headquartered company, is known for manufacturing premium sports equipment and sportswear. Other athletes and teams to have been sponsored by Li-Ning are Dwyane Wade, Shaquille O’Neal, Sevilla, RCD Espanyol and Jimmy Butler.
Charity Works
Marin ?ili? founded the Marin ?ili? Foundation in 2016 with the vision of providing financial support to young children to follow their dreams through education, sports and encouragement programs. ?ili? received the 2016 Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award for his endeavours with his foundation.
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