Former US Open champion makes the French Open at last minute after Kei Nishikori withdraws

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The 2025 French Open is right around the corner, as the stars of the ATP Tour finish up their preparations in Paris.

Four months on from the year’s first Major, the Australian Open, Grand Slam tennis is back.

Qualifying for the French Open has concluded, and everyone knows who they’ll face in round one.

Six former Grand Slam champions, including Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, and Carlos Alcaraz, will compete in the French capital.

That number was very nearly five, however, until one former US Open champion was handed a spot in the main draw at the final hour, as a Lucky Loser.

Marin Cilic qualifies for Roland Garros as a Lucky Loser while Kei Nishikori withdraws

2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic entered Grand Slam qualifying for the first time in 18 years and made a strong start, advancing to the final round without dropping a set.

• 2025 French Open qualifying 1R – Marin Cilic beat Yibing Wu, 6-2, 6-3
• 2025 French Open qualifying 2R – Marin Cilic beat Pol Martin Tiffon, 6-4, 6-3

Unfortunately, he came unstuck in the final round of qualifying, losing in three sets 3-6, 6-4, 3-6, to South Africa’s Lloyd Harris.

Cilic then began the anxious wait to see if he’d receive a spot in the main draw as a Lucky Loser.

Following Matteo Berrettini’s French Open withdrawal, Cilic was granted a spot in the tournament at the last minute.

Taking Berrettini’s place, Cilic will now get set to take on Italy’s Flavio Cobolli in the first round.

Cobolli has been busy in the lead-up to Roland Garros and will compete in the Hamburg Open final against Andrey Rublev on Saturday, May 24.

Berrettini wasn’t the only player to withdraw from the tournament, however, as Japan’s Kei Nishikori pulled out, having suffered an injury in Geneva earlier in the week.

The former world number four was 3-3 for the year on clay, looking to make his presence felt at the event where he reached the quarterfinals in 2015, 2017, and 2019.

Nishikori had been drawn against world number two Alcaraz in the first round of the French Open, as fans anticipated a thrilling tie on Court Philippe Chatrier.

Instead, Nishikori will now rest up ahead of the grass court season and will perhaps watch from home as the man he played in his sole Major final takes to the court in Paris.

What happened when Kei Nishikori and Marin Cilic played in a Grand Slam final?

The 2014 US Open was one for the ages, as two men shook up the status quo in New York.

Nishikori and Cilic took to the court for their semi-final matches as afterthoughts, with few predicting them to put up a fight against Djokovic and Roger Federer.

But on Sunday, September 7, 2014, the two Grand Slam greats were left stunned on Arthur Ashe Stadium, as Nishikori and Cilic pulled off memorable upsets to reach their first Major final.

• 2014 US Open SF – Kei Nishikori beat Novak Djokovic, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6, 6-3
• 2014 US Open SF – Marin Cilic beat Roger Federer, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4

It was hard to predict who would come out on top in the final, but it certainly looked as though one player headed into Monday’s championship match more fatigued than the other.

Nishikori’s fatigue was evident in the final as the Croat overpowered him throughout.

Cilic won in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3, becoming the second Croatian player, after his coach Goran Ivanisevic, to win a Grand Slam title.

Nishikori never returned to a Major final, but Cilic did twice, coming up short on both occasions.

• 2017 Wimbledon final – Marin Cilic lost to Roger Federer, 3-6, 1-6, 4-6
• 2018 Australian Open final – Marin Cilic lost to Roger Federer, 2-6, 7-6, 3-6, 6-3, 1-6

Entering the latter stages of their careers, Nishikori and Cilic are both unlikely to return to Grand Slam finals or the top five, as they currently sit outside the ATP top 50 (Nishikori – 62nd, Cilic – 104th).

Nishikori is currently scheduled to appear in a clay court Challenger Tour event in Prostejov, Czechia, which begins on June 2, but is likely to withdraw and turn his attentions to grass.

Cilic will begin his French Open campaign against Cobolli in the first round on Tuesday, May 27.