What Racket Does Marin Cilic Use? A Giant With a Tiny Head Size

Here is a fun fact to impress your tennis friends: one of the tallest men of his generation uses one of the smallest rackets. Marin Cilic stands 1.98 m and has spent his whole career with Head, and for about the last decade he has played with a Prestige-style frame of just 93 square inches, smaller than almost anyone else in the top 100.

Some gear sites claim he uses a Wilson Pro Staff. He doesn't. Here is what Cilic, the 2014 US Open champion, really plays with.

A Head Player for His Entire Career

Cilic has been with Head since his early years on tour. Over time, the paint on his racket has changed, but the brand hasn't.

Earlier years: a Microgel-era pro stock

Pro-stock specialists report that Cilic's earlier frame was a Head pro stock known as TGK 231.3, described as a Microgel-era MP frame with a 16x19 string pattern. Exactly which retail model it mirrored is not clearly documented.

Since the mid-2010s: a Prestige pro stock

He then moved to a Head pro stock with the code TGT 312.2. Gear specialists describe it as a Prestige Rev Pro mould, a 93 sq in players' frame, but built with the layup of his previous racket so that it feels familiar. One gear site reports he has used it since around 2015. His retail paint has since followed Head's Prestige line.

Reported Specs

These figures come from pro-stock retailers and gear specialists, not from Head or Cilic, so treat them as well-informed reports rather than official data:

• Head size: 93 sq in
• String pattern: 16x19
• Strung weight: about 345 g
• Balance: about 32.5 cm (head-light)
• Swingweight: about 371, high for a pro frame
• Stiffness: about 58 RA, quite flexible
• Grip: size L5 (4 5/8), a big grip to suit big hands
• Customisation: lead and silicone added in Head's pro room to reach his target weight and balance

The picture that emerges is a heavy, flexible, small-headed racket with a lot of weight in the swing. It is built for a strong player who wants the racket to do the work of stability and plough through the ball.

Strings

Cilic's string setup is one of the better-documented on tour. He is reported to use a classic "gut-poly" hybrid:

• Mains: Babolat VS Touch natural gut (1.30 mm)
• Crosses: Luxilon ALU Power (1.25 mm)

Reported tension is around 25 kg (about 55 lbs). As always, pros adjust tension for conditions, altitude and balls.

Natural gut mains give feel and free power and are kind to the arm, while the polyester crosses add control and keep the string bed from moving too much.

How the Setup Fits His Game

• Serve. At 1.98 m, Cilic hits down on the serve from a great height. A heavy, stable racket helps him keep it heavy and accurate.
• Flat power. His groundstrokes are flat and deep. A small head and high swingweight reward clean, powerful contact and punish mishits, which is a trade he is happy to make.
• Longevity. A flexible frame and natural gut are relatively gentle on the arm, which may help explain how he is still competing at 37 after knee surgery in 2023.

Still Going in 2026

Cilic's recent years have been a lesson in persistence. After the 2023 knee operation, he won the Hangzhou title in 2024 as one of the lowest-ranked ATP champions in history. In 2025 he won Challenger titles including Nottingham, where he became the oldest grass-court Challenger champion, and reached the fourth round at Wimbledon. He is still on tour in 2026, ranked around No. 80 at the end of August.

If You Want to Play Like Cilic

• Head Prestige Pro: the closest retail relative, with a small head and a solid, control-first feel. For advanced players only.
• Head Prestige MP: a little more forgiving and still very precise.
• More forgiving option: if a 93 sq in head sounds scary, a Head Speed MP or Radical MP gives you a bigger sweet spot while keeping that Head feel.
• Strings: real natural gut is expensive. A hybrid of synthetic gut or multifilament mains with a soft polyester cross is a budget-friendly way to get some of the same comfort.

Quick Facts

• Brand: Head, throughout his career
• Current frame: reported Head pro stock TGT 312.2 (Prestige Rev Pro mould), 93 sq in, 16x19
• Previous frame: reported Head pro stock TGK 231.3 (Microgel MP-based)
• Reported specs: about 345 g strung, swingweight about 371, grip L5
• Strings: reported Babolat VS Touch gut mains and Luxilon ALU Power crosses, around 25 kg
• Height: 1.98 m
• Biggest title: 2014 US Open