Čilić Arrives Back Home: ‘I am Proud to be Croatian’

It has been a crazy week for Croatia’s number one tennis player Marin Čilić. Last Monday he beat Japan’s Kei Nishikori to win the final of the US Open in New York, and on Sunday he helped guide Croatia to a 3-2 win over the Netherlands in the Davis Cup. On Monday just after 1:15pm local time Čilić returned to Croatia to a warm welcome…

Čilić landed in Zagreb this afternoon and was greeted by fans and dignitaries at the airport, but the real celebrations will take place tomorrow night in his hometown of Međugorje where a big party has been planned. Čilić has enjoyed a phenomenal couple of weeks, which have made the nation very proud.

“Thanks for making Croatia happy, those two nights when you beat Federer and Nishikori will be forever written into our tennis history. Thank you from my heart,” Zagreb Mayor Milan Bandić said as he greeted the US Open champion at the airport.

“Things have happened very fast in the last 10 days. I am enjoying every day and I am proud that I come from Croatia and that I have that support. I believed that these things can happen in my career, but not in this way and this fast,” said Čilić, thanking once again his coach Goran Ivanišević.

A number of local singers, including Marko Perković Thompson, Mate Bulić and Jole, will perform tomorrow night at Čilić’s welcome home party. (pic: Twitter)