Cilic said that Empire State of Mind by Jay Z and Alicia Keys is always a song that will make him think of that moment when he won as well as of course seeing his name in lights as champion.

"The scoreboard reads 6–3, 6–3, 5–2. During the changeover, I’m focused on what I need to do when “Empire State of Mind” blasts over the speakers in Arthur Ashe Stadium, giving me a spurt of inspiration and making my long and obstacle-ridden path to this moment, in the finals of the 2014 U.S. Open, at the top of tennis, that much more special," said Cilic during an article on SI.

"It goes without saying that any time I hear that song, my brain immediately replays that last diagonal backhand followed by the cheers of the stadium crowd."

"A moment that will forever be ingrained in my mind is seeing MARIN CILIC 2014 U.S. OPEN CHAMPION flash across the scoreboard. I ran up to my box to celebrate with my team.

This may be an individual sport, but any success on the tennis court is impossible without support from a team of people, and that is why I want to take this opportunity to tell them once again THANK YOU."

"In the moments following match point, I was immediately reminded of that difficult period in an athlete’s career when they question whether they should continue on this path or simply give up. It wasn’t long before this victory that I had found myself at a similar crossroads, this title served as proof that I had chosen the right path.

It was incredible to celebrate this achievement with all those who had believed in me and stuck by me throughout the years."