This year, it is Marin Cilic’s turn to push his limits in November.
First come the ATP World Tour Finals in London, where Cilic is among the elite eight singles qualifiers.
Then, less than a week later, comes the Davis Cup final, where Cilic and his Croatian teammates will play Argentina in a sold-out arena in Zagreb, Croatia.
“The shine of that Davis Cup trophy will keep me going,” Cilic said with a weary laugh in an interview last week.
It has already been a long, mood-shifting season for Cilic, full of delights and pathos.