Tennis history is usually pretty boring if you like surprises. For about two decades, we basically just watched three or four guys pass the same few trophies around like they were family heirlooms. But then 2014 happened. Specifically, the 2014 US Open tennis championships turned into this weird, beautiful glitch in the matrix where the established order didn't just bend—it totally snapped.
If you were sitting in Arthur Ashe Stadium that September, you weren't seeing the usual Federer-Nadal-Djokovic clinical takeover. Instead, you were watching Marin Cilic and Kei Nishikori turn the sport on its head. It was wild. It was honestly a bit confusing for the casual fans who showed up expecting to see the "Big Three" do their thing. By the time the final rolled around, it was the first time in 38 Grand Slams that the title match didn't feature Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, or Novak Djokovic. Let that sink in for a second. Thirty-eight tournaments.
The Semifinals That Broke the Internet (Before That Was a Cliche)
The 2014 US Open tennis men's semifinals were basically a fever dream.
Novak Djokovic was the world number one. He was supposed to steamroll Kei Nishikori. Nishikori had spent the previous rounds grinding through five-set marathons against Milos Raonic and Stan Wawrinka, so everyone assumed he’d be too tired to move. But he wasn't. He was electric. He took the ball so early it felt like he was playing a different sport, and Djokovic looked genuinely rattled by the humidity and the pace.
Then came the afternoon session. Roger Federer against Marin Cilic.
Federer had just come off a miraculous comeback against Gael Monfils and the crowd was ready for a coronation. But Cilic? He played what I’d call "unconscious" tennis. He was hitting lines with 130mph serves and flat forehands that shouldn't have been physically possible. He won in straight sets. It wasn't a fluke; it was a beatdown. For the first time in a decade, the "Big Three" aura of invincibility felt... gone. At least for a weekend.
Why Marin Cilic Was a Statistical Anomaly
A lot of people look back at Cilic’s run and try to act like it was just a hot streak. That's lazy. Cilic was working with Goran Ivanisevic at the time, and they had spent months retooling his serve. It went from being a "good" serve to a "get out of my way" serve.
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- He won his final three matches (quarterfinal, semi, and final) without dropping a single set.
- He beat Tomas Berdych, Roger Federer, and Kei Nishikori in succession.
- His winners-to-unforced-errors ratio in the final was essentially a video game cheat code.
It was pure, unadulterated power. Cilic stood 6'6" and moved like a guy much shorter, and when that game clicks, nobody—not even peak Federer—can do much about it. It’s a specific kind of tennis that requires total confidence. If Cilic hesitated for a millisecond, the ball would have flown into the stands. But he didn't.
The Nishikori Factor and the Asian Market
We also can't forget what this meant for the sport globally. Kei Nishikori becoming the first man from an Asian country to reach a Major final was massive. The TV ratings in Japan were through the roof, despite the time difference being absolutely brutal for fans in Tokyo. It felt like the "Global Game" was finally arriving.
Nishikori’s game was built on legs and timing. He didn't have the height of Cilic, which is why that final was such a contrast in styles. It was the giant versus the technician. Unfortunately for Nishikori, the two five-setters he played earlier in the week eventually caught up to him. He looked half a step slow in the final, and against a guy hitting the ball as hard as Cilic, half a step is a mile.
Serena Williams and the One Thread of Normalcy
While the men’s side was pure chaos, the women’s draw at the 2014 US Open tennis tournament provided the GOAT-level consistency we expected. Serena Williams was on a mission. She hadn't won a Slam yet that year—which, for Serena in the 2010s, was considered a massive crisis.
She didn't just win the tournament; she stomped it. She didn't drop more than three games in any set until the final against Caroline Wozniacki. Think about that. That is an absurd level of dominance. She was playing a different game than everyone else. Her 6-3, 6-3 win in the final gave her her 18th Grand Slam title, tying her with Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova.
It was a weird juxtaposition. On one side of the bracket, you had total upheaval. On the other, you had the most dominant athlete on the planet asserting her will.
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The Atmosphere: Humidity, New York, and Night Sessions
If you've never been to Flushing Meadows in late August, it's hard to describe the "heavy" feeling of the air. 2014 was particularly sticky. The players were drenched through their shirts by the end of the warm-up. This matters because it rewards the players who are either incredibly fit or those who can end points quickly.
Cilic chose the latter.
The 2014 US Open tennis crowds are also legendary for being, well, loud. They wanted Federer. They wanted the legends. When they got Cilic vs. Nishikori, there was this initial "wait, who are these guys?" vibe. But New Yorkers respect a winner. By the end of the second set of the final, the crowd realized they were watching a historic shift, even if it turned out to be a temporary one.
What Most People Get Wrong About 2014
The biggest misconception is that this tournament signaled the end of the Big Three. It didn't. In fact, Djokovic, Federer, and Nadal (and eventually Murray) went right back to winning everything for the next few years.
2014 wasn't a changing of the guard. It was an outlier.
It proved that the gap between the "Gods of Tennis" and the "Rest of the Field" wasn't about talent—it was about sustainment. Cilic could play at a 10/10 level for seven matches. Most players can only do it for three. The Big Three could do it for fifteen years. That's the difference.
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Also, people forget how close we were to a different story. If Monfils converts those match points against Federer in the quarters, does Federer win the whole thing? Maybe. If Djokovic doesn't struggle with the heat against Nishikori, does he add another trophy? Probably. But sports aren't played in "ifs." They're played in the moments where a guy like Marin Cilic decides he isn't afraid of the GOAT.
Key Stats from the Fortnight
- Zero sets dropped by Cilic in the last three rounds.
- 10 straight wins for Serena Williams at the US Open (carrying over from previous years).
- No Nadal. People forget Rafa withdrew before the tournament with a right wrist injury. His absence blew the draw wide open from day one.
- The age factor. Cilic and Nishikori were both in their mid-20s, which at the time felt like the "new generation," even though they were basically the same age as the guys they were replacing.
Why 2014 Still Matters Today
When you look at the current state of tennis, 2014 serves as a blueprint. It showed that the "big server" meta could still work if the player had the movement to back it up. It also served as a massive boost for Japanese and Croatian tennis, inspiring a whole new wave of players who realized they didn't have to be named Roger or Rafa to hold a trophy in New York.
It was a tournament of "firsts" and "lasts." The last time we saw that specific kind of bracket carnage for a long time. The first time we saw Serena hit that magic #18.
Honestly, the 2014 US Open tennis tournament was the "Electric Slide" of sports events—a bit unexpected, everyone joined in, and even if things went back to normal afterward, nobody forgot how much fun the chaos was.
Actionable Insights for Tennis Historians and Fans
If you're looking to really understand the impact of this era or if you're a student of the game, here is how you should frame the 2014 season:
- Study the Cilic Serve: If you're a player, go watch the 2014 semifinal footage. Pay attention to his toss and his leg drive. It’s the gold standard for how a tall player can generate pace without losing accuracy.
- Analyze the "Pressure Gap": Look at how Djokovic and Federer played in those semis. They weren't physically outmatched; they were tactically stifled. It shows that even the best in the world can be rushed into errors if you take their time away.
- Revisit the Serena 18 Run: Most people focus on her 23 slams, but #18 was the hardest mentally. She had failed at the Australian, French, and Wimbledon that year. Her 2014 US Open run is a masterclass in mental resets.
- Check the Draw Brackets: Go back and look at the path. You'll see names like David Ferrer, Andy Murray, and Stan Wawrinka all falling in ways that made the Cilic/Nishikori final possible. It’s a reminder that in tennis, you only have to beat the person across the net, not the entire history of the sport.
The 2014 US Open wasn't just another tournament. It was a reminder that on any given Sunday (or Monday, in the case of that rain-delayed era), the script can be flipped. It’s why we watch. It’s why the New York crowd keeps coming back to that hot, humid, loud corner of Queens every year.