MATCH REPORT | Hangzhou Open 2024: Marin Cilic, No. 777 in the world rankings, becomes the lowest player ever to win an ATP title

Cilic, of course, has far greater ambitions, as he was once ranked number 3 in the world and is considered one of the greatest Croatian players of all time, but he hasn’t won a title since 2021.

He has battled through a multitude of surgeries and injury layoffs, often returning only to leave and not play for a while. But Cilic has been outstanding this week, showing at the age of 35 that there is still life in him, even at this point in his career when he easily could have called it quits.

Lleyton Hewitt was the most recently ranked player to win a title, winning as world number 550 early in his career in Adelaide in 1998 – a record that has stood for over 25 years. The previous second best was Pablo Andujar in Marrakesh in 2018. Cilic had zero wins in four tournaments this year, claiming his 21st title.

This is the first time since 2021, when he won two races this year. It also shows how far he has fallen during his time away from the sport last year and he will now hope to use this as fuel for a renewed rise.