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Milos Raonic will try to improve upon his career-best 2016 without the guidance of coach Carlos Moya. The Canadian announced on Wednesday that the two will no longer be working together.
Raonic first partnered with the former World No. 1 in January, and he went on to experience his best season on the ATP World Tour. The 25 year old kicked off the year by winning his eighth ATP World Tour title in Brisbane (d. Federer). Raonic proceeded to reach the Australian Open semi-finals, the BNP Paribas Open final, The Queen's Club final and his first Grand Slam final at Wimbledon (l. to Murray).

Raonic also earned a career-high 52 wins in 2016 and finished at a career-best year-end No. 3 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, up 11 spots from his 2015 year-end ranking of No. 14.
“Thank you to Carlos Moya for helping me tremendously this year, alongside my team, to get the best out of me. Under Carlos' direction and tutelage I have played my best yet to date,” Raonic posted on Instagram. “We will no longer be continuing our coaching relationship but remain close friends. I wish him all the best.”
Raonic also works with Riccardo Piatti on a full-time basis. The Canadian had also brought on John McEnroe for a stretch during the grass-court and U.S. hard-court swings. Before working with Moya, Raonic had worked with Croatian Ivan Ljubcic for more than two years.

Milos Raonic is set to appoint former Wimbledon champion Richard Krajicek as his new coach, according to a report from The Times newspaper in England.
The 1996 Wimbledon champion will replace Carlos Moya, who Raonic parted ways with in November.
According to The Times report, Raonic reached out to Krajicek to help him out during the grass court season this year, but after terms could not be agreed upon, Raonic partnered with John McEnroe.
Raonic reached the finals at Wimbledon this year and finished the season ranked third in the world.

Milos Raonić potwierdził poniedziałkowe informacje przekazane przez "The Times", że jego nowym trenerem został Richard Krajicek. Kanadyjczyk przyznał, iż zna Holendra już od dłuższego czasu.

Rafał Smoliński
Rafał Smoliński
20 Grudnia 2016, 09:05
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PAP/EPA / WILL OLIVER
- Odbyłem już pierwszy trening z Richardem Krajickiem. Wspaniale, że dołączył do mojego sztabu na najbliższy sezon, w którym chcę zrealizować jeszcze wyższe cele - poinformował za pośrednictwem Instagramu Milos Raonić.


Boris Becker chce wrócić do pracy trenera i nie wierzy w dominację Andy'ego Murraya
Kanadyjczyk dotarł w 2016 roku do finału Wimbledonu i wspiął się na trzecie miejsce w rankingu ATP. W listopadzie rozstał się z Carlosem Moyą, dając do zrozumienia, że jego celem numerem jeden jest triumf w turnieju wielkoszlemowym.
REKLAMA

Richard Krajicek zdobył w swojej zawodowej karierze 17 tytułów w singlu oraz trzy w deblu. Po to najważniejsze sięgnął w wielkoszlemowym Wimbledonie 1996, pokonując w finale Amerykanina MaliVai Washingtona 6:3, 6:4, 6:3. W ostatnim czasie Holender pełnił funkcję dyrektora turnieju w Rotterdamie oraz eksperta telewizyjnego.

Raonić przyznał, że miał już okazję trenować pod okiem Krajicka. - Pracowałem z Richardem już wcześniej. Było to na kilka dni przed zeszłorocznym Australian Open. Jestem przekonany, że jego doświadczenie jako mistrza Wimbledonu pozwoli mi zrealizować własne cele. Wierzę, że razem dokonamy wielkich rzeczy.

Trzeci obecnie tenisista świata rozpocznie nowy sezon od obrony tytułu w Brisbane

Milos Raonic has arrived at the Brisbane International presented by Suncorp and is ready to make a statement in his first tournament of 2017.
But before he takes the court for his first match of the season, the top seed and defending champion made time to take in the sights of this world-class city. Raonic boarded a CityCat cruise around the Brisbane River on Tuesday and met Adrian Schrinner, the city’s Deputy Mayor.
“It's great to be back here. This is the most ideal way for us, as tennis players, to start off an Australian summer,” said Raonic. “Having five of the Top 10 players here is of great significance. It’s obviously a great show not only of the kind of support that we have here in Brisbane, but also the quality of the tournament and the fact that players believe this is the most ideal way to start. They feel the comfort of being here many years over and over again.”
Having received a first-round bye, the World No. 3 will play the winner between Sam Querrey and Diego Schwartzman. Raonic is even with Querrey in their FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry at 2-2, but has won their past two matches.
Raonic cut his year-end Emirates ATP Ranking from No. 14 to No. 3 last year, and in his final event of the year, the ATP World Tour Finals, he pushed World No. 2 Novak Djokovic to 7-6, 7-6 and held match point against World No. 1 Andy Murray.
Asked if he could join Murray and Djokovic in the battle for No. 1 in 2017, Raonic said, "I hope so, that's the goal. It's about going out there every single week trying to give myself physically and mentally the best possibility to win and compete against these guys in the biggest events.
"They have a consistency that has been unmatched over the past few seasons; hopefully I can step up and show that consistency as well."
Talking about his decision to add former Wimbledon champion Richard Krajicek to his coaching team, Raonic said, “It was about the intentions he believes I need to do with my game to take the next step forward, especially against the top guys. We’re looking for a bit more aggression, a bit more progress forward to the net to keep the guys off balance and take it to them.”

The Canadian has thrived in Brisbane throughout his career, posting a 7-2 career record in his three appearances. He also finished runner-up at this event in 2015 (l. Federer).
This will be Raonic’s first match with 1996 Wimbledon champion Richard Krajicek as part of his coaching team. The Dutchman will also work alongside Riccardo Piatti, who has been with the Canadian since 2014.

Canadian acknowledged for tennis success and sponsorship deals
Milos Raonic has been named to Forbes' “30 Under 30” Sports list for 2017 for “breaking records and earning big money on and off the field”. The 26 year old is currently No. 3 in the Emirates ATP Rankings and achieved numerous career-best successes last season, including a semi-final showing at the ATP Finals in London. The Canadian's sponsorship deals include New Balance and Rolex.
Raonic was chosen for the list by judges James Harden of the Houston Rockets, Nike’s Chairman Emeritus, Phil Knight, and Chairman & CEO of Wasserman Media Group, Casey Wasserman.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Will Raonic Challenge For No. 1 in 2017?
Other sports stars on the exclusive list include American gymnast Simone Biles, NBA star Kyrie Irving and NFL star Odell Beckham Jr.

Q. Why did you change your coach to Krajicek?
MILOS RAONIC: It was just a timing of how things went. I feel like for me to make the steps I want, especially forward, specifically with that focus, you have these two guys that move very well laterally. I don't think I'm ever going to be the best guy from the baseline by any means, especially not against them. If I'm going to take it to them, it's by coming forward. So I wanted to improve in that aspect.

Q. Why did you add Richard Krajicek to your staff?
MILOS RAONIC: That's the same exact question.

No, it's really to help me be more efficient going forward. I believe you have these two guys that are phenomenal right now at the top of the game covering the baseline. It's really hard to get by them, especially with the way they move. I can't expect to move like they do. I think I've got to be at least 20, 25 pounds heavier than them. It's going to be about moving forward.

I think Richard could really help me in being more aggressive, more forward orientated, and more efficient when I'm able to get myself coming in.

Q. With regard to that, a year ago here you seemed to be doing a lot of that. You were going to the net a lot this time last year. You got to the semifinals. You were one set away from the final here. Do you think you need to be up there even more? Does Richard think you need to be up there?
MILOS RAONIC: I wouldn't say even more. I think it's about the consistency of it. When I was here last year, I was very efficient at coming forward. I did a lot of things well.

It could be because of the sort of injury. After that I didn't have really the capacity to train properly. It sort of drifted away. It had come time to March in Indian Wells, Miami, I wasn't coming in as much. Obviously on clay, it's its own situation. Wimbledon and through the grass, obviously the situation did help me come forward more. But then through the rest of the summer and fall, I didn't do it that much.

With those lapses of consistency, it's really hard to make the true progress. So that goal is to some days it's going to be more efficient than others. But if I'm able to put myself in that situation more consistently, I will continue to improve.

Q. Is it something that comes naturally to you psychologically, or do you have to actually remind yourself?
MILOS RAONIC: It depends on what the scenarios are. Sometimes against guys that are lower ranked, I can get away with staying further back. Sometimes I'm not disciplined enough, or attention focused on that specific thing in those situations.

Then obviously, you don't want to be arriving to a quarterfinal or a semifinal in these big tournaments and expect yourself to be efficient coming forward. So it's about obtaining that perspective, that command within myself to do it from the beginning of the tournament, so that when it does get to later stages where it's not very optional, it's something I need to do if I want to give myself the best opportunity to win. It's been already tried, tested and true by then.

Q. How do you feel game-wise coming into the tournament after the few matches you had since the start of the tournament?
MILOS RAONIC: I feel good. Obviously this year is a lot different than last year. Last year the first matches of the year were the most important to me because I didn't play at the end of 2015. So I really needed to get an understanding of where I was at. Right now I have a much better understanding of where I'm at, and now it's really about I know what I can get out of myself. It's more important to be mentally prepared, sort of grit my way through and get that out of myself. Some days I'll be successful, some days not. But if I'm mental able to really be on top of myself, I'll give myself a chance to win, and hopefully progress throughout the tournament.

Q. You are world No. 3 right now. Could you catch up Novak and Andy? Do you have confidence?
MILOS RAONIC: I definitely do have that confidence. But it's going to take some time. They're significantly ahead of anybody as far as points go and as far as results over the past 12 months.

Q. Have you changed anything in your preparation physically to try to get rid of the injuries you got last year?
MILOS RAONIC: We focus on different things. I think sort of the hours spent on court, we did that a little bit less in the off-season. Most of my injuries do tend to be in the lower half of my body. There was two focuses. Obviously spending less time pounding my lower body on concrete. Spent more time in the gym, sort of changed around that ratio a little bit.

Obviously the off-season was as long as previous years as well. Then focused on losing a little bit of weight, refocusing on that. Something that can help me throughout the year. Obviously those hours spent with a few extra pounds here and there can make a difference.

Q. What are your experiences with Krajicek?
MILOS RAONIC: They've been very positive. We spent somewhere close to I believe now eight to ten days together. We spent the last week of the off-season together. We spent Abu Dhabi together. It's been very positive.

We've focused on a lot of things, especially obviously coming forward being the main thing. Last year there was a few things that I did well. There was two specific matches I was -- two important matches I was able to get ahead a set and a break. I gave that away. We focused on in those situations I could take better care of my serve. Then we focused a little bit technically on cleaning things up at the net so I can be a little bit more efficient, where I position myself, how I cover the net, so forth.

Q. Is he now your head coach or is there no difference between the two coaches?
MILOS RAONIC: Virtually there's really no difference. Richard is going to be doing mostly tournaments with me, where he's going to help me getting the best out of myself. Ricardo is more doing the weeks when I sort of go home, do the training weeks, these kind of things.

I think both of them have equally as important a role as the other.

Q. You mentioned you focused on when you're a set and a break ahead, that kind of situation that you had with Andy.
MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, there were two situations. There was the situation in Queen's and obviously in the semifinals there.

You can't really put yourself in that situation through practice. You got to deal with those situations. There was attention put into what do I need to do differently or what can I expect in those scenarios that I look for.

I believe obviously the situation in Queen's was quite different from the one in the O2 because the one in Queen's, it came down to one or two points, whereas in the O2 it was 4-4, I had mistakes, I believe. It's how to manage those situations, being a little bit more aware of them.

Q. What is the conclusion?
MILOS RAONIC: The conclusion is sometimes I have to take more time. Sometimes I'd veer off what I was doing to get myself to that point. It's being more disciplined, remembering those things, sort of sticking to that, no hocus-pocus.

Q. I can't imagine anything worse than trying to lose weight over Christmas personally.
MILOS RAONIC: Thanksgiving, as well. That wasn't easy (smiling).

No, it's something that actually I started preparing for all the way in September, after the disappointment at the US Open, just being aware of that. I knew I can't really expect too much from myself, especially changing habits while I'm playing.

The grunt part of it, the main focus of it was done in those three, four weeks that I had.

Q. Did you change your diet completely?
MILOS RAONIC: To some extent, you know. I think it's more before I have what I can and cannot eat, then just manage it. Now it's I have what I should eat and how much of it I should eat.

World No. 3 Milos Raonic, the highest seed remaining at the Australian Open, secured his place in the quarter-finals for the third successive year by beating Spanish No. 13 seed Roberto Bautista Agut 7-6(6), 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 in two hours and 51 minutes on Monday.
Raonic, who hit 75 winners – including 33 aces (for a total of 93 aces at the major championship), will meet ninth seed and 2009 champion Rafael Nadal on Wednesday. Raonic trails Nadal 2-6 lifetime in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series.

“I was very fortunate to get the win today – there were some moments when it wasn't looking so good,” said Raonic, during an on-court interview. “I was happy that I was able to find a way to pull through. And this atmosphere – especially when the roof closed, the noise stays in a little bit more, so it was great to be here. We live to see another day.”
Raonic opened up a 3-0 lead in the first set, but Bautista Agut worked his way back and led 5/1 in the tie-break. Raonic capitalised on his comeback with a service break to start the second set, but Bautista Agut found holes in the Canadian’s baseline game.

Bautista Agut held three break points in the ninth game of the third set, after the match was briefly suspended due to a rain delay at 3-3, but Raonic escaped. At 4-5, Bautista Agut double-faulted and then hit a forehand long to gift Raonic a commanding lead. Raonic then cruised to a 5-0 lead in the fourth set.

The 26-year-old Raonic lost to Grigor Dimitrov in the semi-finals of the recent Brisbane International presented by Suncorp.

Looking back on his Brisbane quarter-final against Nadal, Raonic said, “We both tried to be the aggressors early on. I fought through a difficult moment midway through that second set. Then, I thought I had it pretty handily after that point. I broke towards the end of that second set. Broke right away in the third. Had a lot of 0/30 games [and] had a lot of break chances following after that, holding quite easy.”

Q. How much did you have to get used to the heat out there? Or was the worst of it gone by the time you got on court?
MILOS RAONIC: I don't think it was really too much of a factor today.

Q. How do you assess your performance?
MILOS RAONIC: It was what it needed to be. It's obviously tough to have necessarily a solid performance all the way through, but I did what I needed to.

I took care of my serve. I broke quite early in all the sets. Just dropped off a little bit where I faced a few sort of dangers on my service games in the beginning of the third, end of the second.

But other than that, I returned pretty solid when I had to. I stepped up, and I played well.

Q. Straight sets. Would you say it's the best possible start to this tournament?
MILOS RAONIC: Yeah. Obviously you want to get in and get out and play as well as you can. Starting off, obviously it's not easy, but I played solid and I was efficient out there, which I'm happy with.

Q. How easy is it to play against a guy who most people are watching to see whether he pulls off some amazing shot, but he can also throw in some rubbish, as well?
MILOS RAONIC: You know, the main point for at least myself was I really had to focus on myself. He's very capable of going very high up with his level, but that can also drop quite quickly.

It's about really providing a solid level for myself, and hopefully that weathers the storm.

Q. He talked about how well you served today, how hard it was to play you. What indicators do you have from him that you're getting to him a bit that way?
MILOS RAONIC: Well, I think for me even the last time I played him I was able to take care of my serve. There was just a little bit of a lapse in the beginning of the match.

But the most important thing was what I did different today compared to then was I was much more solid on the returning. Once I was getting the return in, if I was sharp before the point started, I was always getting it deep down the middle. I was able to neutralize quite well.

I missed a few opportunities to break, but I broke because it sort of just got to him. He went for a big second serve. I got a double towards the end of that first set.

So that's sort of when I could notice it, when I felt like he was sort of playing with smaller and smaller margins.

Q. This is the first match in Melbourne after the semifinal last year that ended in a fairly heartbreaking way for you. Was there any weird feeling? Was there anything in your mind?
MILOS RAONIC: Not at all. This is a completely new tournament.

Q. When you played Brown at the US Open, he had done in his ankle at the Olympics, and I don't think he had even played for five weeks. And yet you took care of him far more routinely here than when he was hampered back then. Do you think that that's more on your play?
MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, I think so. I think I do things quite a bit better on both ends of the court, returning and serving, definitely much better, stepping up and taking care of return games, even just throughout this whole year so far, end of last year.

It hasn't been really coming down to many tiebreaks. And even if it has, I have been able to get many chances, if not break, to get to that point in matches.

I think I'm taking care of both ends and just putting more pressure on.

Q. Why are you returning better?
MILOS RAONIC: I think I'm just more aware of what I need to do.

Before I used to sort of rush and sort of hit the return and try to rush over to the other side in sort of a defensive mindset. Now I put a lot more attention on -- it's a lot more important I hit a good return and take my time. If I hit the good return, I won't have to rush over to the other side.

Q. I read the other day that you're sort of looking into how you sleep and your recovery process. How deep do you go into all that? How much research have you done?
MILOS RAONIC: How much research? Well, I read about it just out of pure desire, and I prefer to know that kind of stuff. How important it is to me, today, as a tennis player and something probably I'll continue to pay attention to one day when I'm not playing tennis so much.

I'm always looking to try to just do things better, whether that be sleep or many other aspects in my life. I try to take care of it.

Q. Possibly Gilles Muller in the next round. He seems like the kind of guy you have to beat him. He's a pretty solid player.
MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, I have struggled with him. I think we have played twice. He beat me twice. First time obviously was getting hurt at Wimbledon, which was unfortunate.

But, you know, he had a great, phenomenal week last week. For him it was something very special, and obviously it was pretty special to see, as well, that final and his reaction to it.

But I've got to take care of my own end of the court, serve well and try to create some opportunities on his. Obviously, it's going to be a bit more predictable match than today, but I will have to step up and take it to him rather than expect him to give it to me.

Q. You follow culture with some care. The great Canadian songwriter and poet, Leonard Cohen, passed on a while ago. Were you at all familiar with his work, his approach to life?
MILOS RAONIC: Well, not so much his literature. I was actually surprised reading about him how many books he actually wrote. I'm sure when most people mentioned his name they were completely or pretty unaware of.

But I liked his music for a long time, but I wasn't really too aware of his philosophy. I guess, in a sad way, I do like that darker perspective on music.

Q. Any particular song?
MILOS RAONIC: "So Long, Marianne," and "Bird on a Wire."

Q. Are you one of those players that looks at the draw quite extensively, trying to understand what the path could be? Or you just go match by match?
MILOS RAONIC: I hear about it, but I don't really, let's say, break it down too much. I'm not doing the math outside of what's sort of within my control.

Right now I was watching a little bit of the guys that I'll play next, and that's pretty much about it.

But, yeah, I also watch other aspects of people I know that are in my end of the draw, but also watch guys who aren't. I enjoy watching tennis.

Q. Your fastest first serve was 229 and your fastest second was 235. I didn't see every single point in the match. Do you remember how that happened or which second serve you hit so big?
MILOS RAONIC: I think I was up 40-15. I had some space to go for it a little bit.

Q. Did it feel good?
MILOS RAONIC: Did it look good, Tom? Were you watching?

Q. I was there for two sets.
MILOS RAONIC: Thanks, Tom. I appreciate it (laughter).

Q. You got so close last time. Is that a motivating factor at all?
MILOS RAONIC: It is. It is. It's a perspective. It's emotionally, as much and as painful as it was, you sort of understand that there is that other side of the spectrum where you can have that kind of joy if you can go through on those moments.

So it's something I'm definitely itching to experience, and obviously this is the tournament that, yes, I made finals of Wimbledon last year, but this is a tournament I have performed consistently my best at throughout my career.

So I always do feel good coming here, and I want to see what I can do to try to have that experience.

Q. Performance like that sort of almost leaves me speechless or voiceless. Can you identify with it?
MILOS RAONIC: I played well. I was efficient. I got the breaks. I faced some scares. I played well in those situations.

I stepped up at the end of that third set. He stepped up, as well. I'm happy I was able to finish it out there.

Q. What's the scoop with your...
MILOS RAONIC: I've got a little bit of a flu.

Q. The end of that third set, you were very vocal, urging yourself on. Not that you don't want to finish in straight sets, but it seemed, especially if you're feeling a little bit under the weather, particularly so?
MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, you know, in general over the last probably three, four tournaments, I've tried always to be a bit more positive and vocal with myself. I don't know how much of that I had in me.

I think I played in a much more monotone level to start. I tried to get the best out of myself by pushing because I was falling a little bit behind. He was having a bit more looks on my serve. I played that great game at 4-5 that he played phenomenal to hold on to for 4-All. I can't remember exactly.

But, yeah, I just try to do these little things to get a better level of tennis out of myself.

Q. When did you start feeling sick? Did it affect your energy levels today?
MILOS RAONIC: I started feeling a little bit of a cough, but I didn't think much of it, two days ago after my match, right before bed. Yesterday I was okay. I practiced normally and everything. I thought, Okay, maybe I'm on the way up from this.

Then this morning, I felt pretty bad waking up. Didn't warm up much. Just came out with the sort of idea of put everything into the match, try to solve it, understand the importance of the mental side of things in that situation.

Q. Are you taking anything for it?
MILOS RAONIC: Everything I could.

Q. Such as?
MILOS RAONIC: Ibuprofen, Paracetamol, something to protect my stomach.

Q. Your stomach, too?
MILOS RAONIC: Well, I've got to protect it if I'm taking all the other things (smiling).

Q. Gilles Simon next. What have you got to do to beat him? What do you know about his game?
MILOS RAONIC: I know a lot about his game. I've watched him play a lot. I've played him in quite a few important matches.

He's going to be there really trying to get me to play at his speed, his rhythm. Obviously he tries to slow things down, play low. I won't have the opportunity to get too many swings at many shots.

I've got to serve well and I've got to be aggressive and I've got to take it to him. The last thing I want to do is get into this sort of game of playing long rallies with him.

Q. The match with you and Muller, both of you guys like to use your serve and come to the net a lot. I think the total number of net approaches might have been 30-ish between the two of you. Any insight as to why that is, given how the match played out?
MILOS RAONIC: He wasn't making so many returns to start the match for the first two sets. He started making a lot at the end of that third set there. Myself, personally, I was more playing on the level of just play solid. I wasn't trying to really apply anything. I was just trying to be as efficient as possible.

Obviously he did volley great in that game at 4-All. I had Love-30. I hit three great returns. He made three great volleys. I had a breakpoint after. But he came up with big volleys in those scenarios.

He came forward when he had to, when I was making returns. But there wasn't many returns being made, I don't think, in the match.

Q. Before the tournament, you mentioned in terms of coming forward, you wanted to do it on a regular basis through the early matches, even the ones you think you can win from the baseline, so it becomes tried and true by the end.
MILOS RAONIC: Well, today was just get through the day.

Q. Are you proud of the fact that those of us who watched didn't sense anything about lower energy? You looked pretty good out there.
MILOS RAONIC: I just tried to keep it as simple and as much about myself as I could. I tried to really focus on the things that I need to do. Today was sort of the day I tried to play the simplest form of tennis I could really bring.

I tried to be the one getting the first strikes. I tried to take care of myself. If I got ahead in the set and I fell behind on his serve, I wasn't necessarily busting my back to get back into those games. I was just really trying to be as simple, efficient and fluid as possible on that court.

It was working for two sets. Then I had to step it up. I was grateful that I was able to in that third.

Q. How would you have felt about playing a fourth?
MILOS RAONIC: I would have been fine. I just probably would have felt worse now.

Q. Is there anything going around? Did the doctors tell you that other people have had it or anything?
MILOS RAONIC: Not that I'm aware of, no.

Q. Can I ask a funny question?
MILOS RAONIC: What would a press conference be without you and your funny questions (smiling)?

Q. Do you think it's a changing of the generations that you're dressed in quite a conventional way at this tournament and that Roger has a kind of loud, busy shirt, you've sort of flipped roles?
MILOS RAONIC: I don't know if that's a perplexing question because I'm not laughing.

I have certain things I like, certain things I like to incorporate, a certain kind of simplicity. That goes a long ways. Other people might like other things, so... I try to stick to what I

Q. Are you feeling better than last time?
MILOS RAONIC: To some extent, yes. It sort of just managed -- I had a rough last 48 hours. But, you know, I got my energy up today much more.

I can sometimes get winded a little bit quicker. But that's improving.

Q. What were the rough parts of the last 48 hours?
MILOS RAONIC: I had a bad fever. I didn't come here yesterday. I just slept pretty much all day. Yeah, everything was aching. Just sort of those kind of symptoms.

Q. You seemed to have revived a bit in the fourth set today, a little bit of a lull in the third.
MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, you know, I was controlling things. I'm up a break in the third. Then he started playing a bit more aggressive. I became a little bit too passive.

Then I sort of got that back on my own terms, had sort of a little bit of a dÃjà vu, didn't hold right after I broke again. But I was able to get back on sort of and just close it out. So I have to be happy with that.

Q. I'm trying to remember the last time I saw a match where you went almost exclusively to the slice except for a couple of little periods. You'd be the ultimate authority on that. Was that a specific plan? Can you remember doing it to that extent before?
MILOS RAONIC: You're talking about slice?

Q. On the backhand side.
MILOS RAONIC: No, I think that's what got me in trouble. I think I got too comfortable with that. Then he sort of realized that if he sort of pushes me around a bit, which I allowed him to, there was that one point that led me to get down I think 15-30 to 15-40 in that game that he broke me back after I broke at 2-1. They weren't even good slices. They were just fluffs in the middle.

It wasn't necessarily a great thing. But I was trying to keep him off balance, not give him the same thing too much. I obviously gave him too many slices.

Q. Except you got the first two sets following that strategy.
MILOS RAONIC: I got the first two sets and a break ahead following that strategy. But what he did then is he started being more aggressive, started pushing me back. It was working in the first two sets because I was hitting a few slices, and then I'd get around to a forehand. Eventually I was getting stuck to too many slices.

Q. Was there any time that it hit you that you were running out of gas a little bit?
MILOS RAONIC: No. I think that's also why I was trying to really push myself emotionally and with good, like, maybe over the top, just to not have that happen to me.

It was more just a dip in sort of dictating. It wasn't a physical dip of any kind.

Q. Are you surprised you held up so well today?
MILOS RAONIC: Yes and no. I think I had it within myself, but I didn't know how I was going to come through with it. So yes because of that. Did I think I could have done it? Also yes.

Q. Do you plan tomorrow to have a similar day as previously and take it easier than you normally would?
MILOS RAONIC: Well, it's going to be definitely a lot easier than I normally would. It's going to be a last-minute decision depending how I manage tonight and how I wake up tomorrow morning.

Obviously right now the most important thing for me is I can manage my tennis if I can just have my full capacity and I can figure out tennis throughout the matches. The most important thing for me right now is just to get myself a full capacity or as close to it as possible.

Q. Do you still have a fever, do you know, at this point?
MILOS RAONIC: I'm managing it. I'm sure I'll probably get something after today's match. I've been managing it to try to avoid having it.

Q. Bautista Agut.
MILOS RAONIC: It's going to be a little bit similar to today. Obviously they both hit pretty flat. Bautista tries to take over a little bit more with the forehand. Also, you know, doesn't suck you in as much into his game.

So I've been able to find the solutions for him a few times in the past before. It's going to be a match that I'm going to have to step up and dictate and take it on my terms. That's going to be the most important thing.

Q. The stat sheet said the last match you served and volleyed once.
MILOS RAONIC: Today?

Q. For the last match. You served and volleyed once. You must have served and volleyed 30, 40 times today.
MILOS RAONIC: Me?

Q. Yes.
MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, well, he was changing his position quite a bit. He's not one of those guys that can really heavily spin it. So when he was going back, it just gave me a lot more time to get close. It was really about keeping him out of rhythm. A plan that I thought would be pretty sufficiently working for me.

Q. What are you most pleased about in your game today?
MILOS RAONIC: Just the attitude and the way I stuck through it. The game will always come if I give myself a chance with it.

Q. Do you take confidence out of being able to move up and down gears?
MILOS RAONIC: Yeah. A lot comes from experience and going through a lot of different things over the last few years which you can't sort of cheat or just understand through discussion. I'm just a lot more aware of those things as they happen. I really try to focus on things that are important to me.

I always try to see, am I the one that is controlling play. Am I behind because I'm not executing or am I behind because I'm letting him be the dictator. That's sort of what I look out for.

That was my issue towards the end of that third set and a little gap in the fourth set. But I was able to get that back.

Q. Are you still taking stuff?
MILOS RAONIC: Yeah.

Q. Same stuff you mentioned the other day?
MILOS RAONIC: Yes.

Q. How would you describe the match, ups and downs, start to finish sort of thing?
MILOS RAONIC: Plenty of them. Yeah, but this was up and down. Most of the match, it was quite inconsistent I think from both of us. I was sort of there on the brink in the end of the third set, then turned it around. Made it really count, I think. After I held off those two breakpoints, I was able to reel off seven games or something along those lines. I was fortunate to get that point because it definitely could have been much longer.

Q. Then 5-1 in the first-set tiebreaker?
MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, I don't know. I was just disappointed I was there, and then all of a sudden I had a chance.

Q. You were hitting a lot of slice backhands again today, and you had some tough misses with your normal backhand. Any issue with your wrist?
MILOS RAONIC: No. I haven't really been able to hit that much. Obviously not feeling well. But yesterday I hit a little bit. Now I'm continuing to get better and better.

I'll have some time to work on that over the next few days.

Q. Does it surprise you that the two matches where you were really, really, really not feeling well, you actually played some pretty great tennis, and today feeling better, you came out a little bit flatter?
MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, well, I guess there's always that sort of match where you sort of fall off. It's a long two weeks. So I guess unfortunately that was it for me today. So I'm happy I was able to solve that.

It reminded myself and my team a lot from that match, similar to Goffin in Wimbledon, that kind of stuff. There I was able to recover well from that, make it count after.

Q. Do you remember the last time you smashed a racquet? I remember here last year in the Murray match. It's not a usual occurrence, yeah.
MILOS RAONIC: I think that was the last time, yeah. I don't think today was really a racquet smash. It survived (smiling).

Q. How are you? How has the recovery from the temperature gone?
MILOS RAONIC: I have the energy. Still don't necessarily feel at full capacity. I have energy now. I can go about my days normally. Sort of on the tail end of the recovery. So it's nice.

Q. With Andy going out yesterday, Djokovic also going out earlier in the tournament, do you think about this at all? Do you think the draw has opened up a little bit for you, this is a good opportunity?
MILOS RAONIC: Well, yes and no. At the same time it sort of crosses your mind. But it's very insignificant because there's a lot for me to even get past that point where it would have been to play potentially against those guys. I have some very difficult tasks ahead of me.

I had today was a very difficult one. Next one, whoever it's going to be of the two guys, is going to be a very difficult one. I'm pretty intent on staying in that moment, in that sort of challenge one at a time.

Q. With all the upsets, if Rafa wins, you'll actually play everybody you should have played right up to the semis or the quarters.
MILOS RAONIC: Yeah.

Q. It hasn't really affected you so far, has it?
MILOS RAONIC: I just know who I play next. I don't know who I was supposed to play and this kind of stuff. But I guess it's panned out. We're pretty consistent in our section.

Q. Closing the roof, that break, did you feel any better afterwards? Did it help with your serve?
MILOS RAONIC: You could say it helped, but I didn't think too much about it. I just didn't want to have the scenario where we kept stopping and starting again. Because that was the second time.

So I think that sort of scenario where it disrupts the flow of play is not necessarily the best one. That's why I was just pushing for them to make a decision, either keep it open or not. But we have to be able to play.

They had to be, what I felt, was a little bit more sure what they were expecting to follow.

Q. Were you at all influenced that he had an injury treatment while they closed the roof?
MILOS RAONIC: I didn't think that much of it. Didn't initially ask for it. He only asked for it towards the end when he saw it was going to be a longer break.

I didn't think too much of it. I think he got sort of demotivated, and it sort of took him down. And obviously he's coming off the end of a very difficult and physical match from two days ago, so...

When the emotions go, as well, it can get pretty hard.

Q. You had a big ace total, but how do you feel you served overall?
MILOS RAONIC: I didn't take care of my serve. I don't think I served that great, by any means.

Q. Looking ahead, you might face Rafa next. He's up against Gael. Do you think he has an advantage in that Carlos is now working with him, that he might be able to bring some knowledge about your game to that match?
MILOS RAONIC: Regardless or not, I think he's been having the opportunity to watch me play enough. I've had the opportunity to watch him. Carlos was working with him last week, as well, or two weeks ago now.

I don't think that's equivalent. I think it's going to be a fight between me and him if that's the case. That's sort of where it ends.

Q. What do you take from the match in Brisbane to the next one?
MILOS RAONIC: Well, you know, I was there. We both tried to be the aggressors early on. I fought through a difficult moment midway through that second set. Then I thought I had it pretty handily after that point. I broke towards the end of that second set. Broke right away in the third. Had a lot of Love-30 games. Had a lot of break chances following after that, holding quite easy.

I found that tipping, sort of turning point, that I was looking for in that match. Obviously it's very within me to find those solutions again, I believe.

Q. Are you confident you will be physically back to 100% for this match?
MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, I believe so. With the way things are going, getting better and better. I can't imagine myself struggling in 48 hours or 36 hours, however long.

Q. Any chance it will be on Rod Laver?
MILOS RAONIC: You'd hope so.

Q. How about afternoon or evening or night?
MILOS RAONIC: I don't know what the scenario's going to be.

Q. Make any difference whether it was one or the other?
MILOS RAONIC: Not really, no.

Q. How would you compare getting to the quarters this year and getting to the quarters last year?
MILOS RAONIC: I think obviously barring the sort of medical issues this year, I think I did it with a lot more conviction this year than I did last year, personally as well.

Yeah, I was playing great this time last year, but I didn't know where I was coming from from the year before, ending 2015 with injury.

Coming together now, putting in a great finish to this season last year, playing what I feel is some of my best tennis right now, it's just a different circumstance, but both pretty special.

Q. Obviously not the result you would have liked tonight. How would you assess the match?
MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, there were some opportunities in that second set. Other than that, there wasn't much for me to hold onto.

I thought he did some things well. I thought, you know, he took the match to me. He did something a little bit different than he normally does. He played better than I did.

Q. Did he change his position on the return? Is that the difference from Brisbane, for example?
MILOS RAONIC: Well, you could see he was trying to do something. It would be good for a few moments, it also would create a few more mistakes for him.

But I don't think that was a big change necessarily. It was more from the back. I just wasn't able to sort of push him back behind the baseline like I was able to do a few weeks ago.

Q. Six set points in that second set. What happened on those, in your opinion?
MILOS RAONIC: I think the first two, he hit one good serve well, and the other one I didn't cover the serve I should have covered. Then after that I think I rushed in that tiebreaker. I made two pretty poor mistakes off balls that didn't have much in the middle of the court on my forehand side.

I think at that point I just put it a little bit too much on myself.

Q. Did you rush because you felt physically you needed to be one set all because you couldn't go the distance?
MILOS RAONIC: No. I rushed because it was just, sort of, I wanted to take that opportunity. I wasn't volleying well by any means, so I felt like I had to finish it with that shot.

Q. What was the problem at 3-2 in the second? How did it affect you before that or after that?
MILOS RAONIC: I hope it's nothing too serious.

Q. It's the right thigh?
MILOS RAONIC: It's my adductor again.

Q. How bad did it bother you after? Did you carry it going in or did it happen during the match?
MILOS RAONIC: Sort of the backstory is another part of the adductor I damaged in Brisbane. I was healing that before this tournament. I got it to pretty good shape. We still had to monitor it.

Then today, I guess I hurt another aspect of it similar to the last two, but not by any means that serious.

Q. Does it feel like sometimes whenever you get close to one of your goals or one of the things you work so hard for, that something always happens, particularly physically?
MILOS RAONIC: I don't know. I don't want to depress myself thinking about that too much right now.

Q. How do you think the flu you've been fighting affected your fitness today? Maybe you didn't practice as much as you wanted.
MILOS RAONIC: I'm sure that everybody has something they carry. Obviously this tournament, for me in general, these last now two and a half weeks, have been quite difficult just trying to manage everything.

First dealing with the physical aspect, getting myself quite ready, I thought, making the most of that, then dealing with the health aspect, then now with this.

It was quite a draining two and a half weeks.

Q. What is your thought on Davis Cup at this point? It's five minutes after your match, I realize.
MILOS RAONIC: I don't really know. I have to see what this is. It's occurred now four times in the last 12 months. I'm very much up in the air.

Q. How did you feel he played compared to the way he played in Brisbane, generally?
MILOS RAONIC: You know, when he was able to get ahead, when he was able to get comfortable, he was playing better. He had that chance against me in Brisbane. He was up a set, and he had a look in the middle of the second set.

But I felt like when I was able to take some swipes at it, when I pushed, I was able to get a little bit ahead of him.

Obviously he put it together more consistently, much more consistently, than I did today. He's doing a lot of things well. He's fighting well, which has always been his strongest attribute.

It's going to be an interesting two more matches, one more match, depending on how he goes. But from everything, it's going to be an interesting three more matches to follow. There's a lot of storylines there.

Q. Have you found any reason why you always get injured in this adductor? Is there any reason explaining it?
MILOS RAONIC: I don't know. I've had surgery on that hip. I'm hoping that's not any reason why I struggled.

ar Milos,

I’m sure you’ve forgotten about it by now, but there’s an old Andre Agassi story that I want to remind you of. Andre wasn’t even your favorite player growing up — you were a Sampras guy — but for some reason I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately.

It was early in Andre’s career, late ’80s I think, when he was a prodigy but not yet a superstar. He was still climbing the ladder — he’d just reached No. 3 in the world. He was also still rocking the blonde locks, though that’s beside the point.

A reporter was interviewing Andre after a match. He’d just won and he was walking off the court.

“How does it feel to be No. 3?” the reporter asked.

“I can’t stand mediocrity,” Andre said.

Mediocrity.

That’s what he was feeling. Not grateful. Not relieved — even after a childhood spent being hailed as tennis’s Next Big Thing.

feb-9

Nope, none of that.

Andre was No. 3 in the world. And what he felt was … mediocre.

Andre was No. 3 in the world — a field that included legends of the sport like Pete and Ivan Lendl.

And it still wasn’t good enough. It wasn’t even close. For a player of Andre’s caliber, there was No. 1 … and there was everyone else. There was the top of the mountain, and then there were the guys who were trying to scale it. Andre knew his goal and he knew that every ranking spot in between where he was and where he wanted to be — whether it was No. 2 or No. 202 — was just that. In between. In the middle. Mediocre.

Crazy, right?

And that’s not even the craziest part.

The craziest part is that, at this point in my life, I can totally relate to what he was going through.

As I write this, I’m 26 years old, and I’m the No. 4 player in the ATP singles rankings. Sounds pretty good, right?

Imagine if I’d told you — back when you were 16 years old and working with a ball machine at a public tennis club in Ontario — that someday you were going to be ranked fourth. You’d have been over the moon. No. 4 — in the world?

More than 10 years ago, I was a kid who got up early before school to train at a club in Richmond Hill. I had signed a letter to attend Virginia on a tennis scholarship. I’d packed up my stuff and was all set to go.

But then … I didn’t. Do you remember why?

I wanted to be a Top 50 ATP player.

Yep, that’s right. Top 50. Sorry — what were you expecting? No. 1? You might be too old to remember this now, but it’s true. You know all of those old Sports Illustrated profiles you would read, where the athlete would say, “From the day I was born, my goal was to be the best in the world” — something like that? Yeah, well, that wasn’t you. You were just a normal kid, Milos. You were just a kid who played high school tennis in Canada, a country that had never produced a men’s finalist in a Grand Slam.

But then you found out, around 16 or 17, that tennis was something you might have a chance to become pretty damn good at. Good enough to go pro, in fact. And when you were picturing it … picturing going pro, as a teenager … picturing what a dream career would be … picturing the kind of career that would be worth giving up on UVA for … well, you pictured the highest ranking you could ever imagine.

Top 50.
That doesn’t mean you weren’t ambitious. You were extremely ambitious — ambitious enough to give up on a sweet deal, at one of the most prestigious universities in the U.S., and ambitious enough to bet everything on yourself by turning pro.

feb-7a

Top 50. That, to you, as 16-year-old Milos, would have been a satisfying life.

And now you’re 26 — and you’re No. 4 in the world.

Which begs the question, I guess: Milos … who are you? Are you an amazing success story, who flew past all of his wildest boyhood dreams by the time you were 21? Or are you what Andre Agassi described himself as, back when he was one place higher in the rankings than you are today? Are you mediocre?

The short answer, of course, is that it’s all a matter of perspective — perspective which hopefully you will gain more and more of, with each passing year.

The long answer … hang on, Milos: Are you too old to remember what FOMO is? You know, the “fear of missing out”?

I’m writing you from 2017 — from a society obsessed with FOMO. Checking out Instagram … scrolling through your friends’ pictures of that Coachella weekend you couldn’t make it to … looking over and seeing “Grand Slam Winner” next to a competitor’s name. We create all these ideas about what’s going on in our lives … about the experiences we are having, or the ones other people are having. And we hang on to these ideas and let them consume us, even when the reality isn’t necessarily that way. Everyone who has ever taken a look at a snapshot of someone else’s life and thought, That looks cool, has suffered from a case of FOMO. And for twentysomethings — just figuring out what they want their lives to be — FOMO can be especially persistent.

I am at a crossroads in my career, having fulfilled my original goals in tennis, while remaining short of the accomplishments of my idols … and I find myself learning to process versions of FOMO in two separate directions.

Sometimes I wonder if, by focusing on my goal, am I letting the world pass me by? Or is achieving my goal, through sheer persistence and drive, worth the sacrifices I have to make?

My biggest phobia at this point in my life is the possibility that someday I’ll look back and feel like I didn’t realize my full potential as a player. That I didn’t get to No. 1. That I didn’t win the multiple Slams.

That I missed out.

feb-8

You know the ultimate answer to that question, but I don’t.

Not so long ago, I was the kid skipping out on a full ride — and a chance to learn at one of the best business schools in North America — for a crazy dream, a crack at the Top 50.

Every step up the ATP rankings, I learned something new.

I learned that, when I’m training, I respond better to isolation and discomfort.

Remember those two off-seasons in Barcelona in 2011 and 2012 — living by yourself in that 250-square-foot dorm room near the university? You found yourself wanting for nothing. You weren’t surrounded by other players, or coaches, or the constant chatter about rankings. It was just about you and your game and no one was there looking over your shoulder.

You loved Barcelona, even if the late-night culture didn’t fit your training schedule. You’d always be the first to arrive for dinner at a restaurant, which would open at 9 p.m. at the earliest. You’d eat alone, and then walk home, alone, just as everyone else was starting to out into the street to start their night.

You learned so much.

As you went up the ladder, you relied on your strengths. Your athleticism and your serve were your bread and butter. You travelled around the world to train with specific coaches at their academies. You hired John McEnroe to help you compete on Wimbledon’s grass surface, and it helped you get all the way to the 2016 Wimbledon final.

And now you’re No. 4.

You’re so close, but it feels so far — the steps are taller and the spotlight is so much brighter. And it’s making you that much more nervous. Suddenly, the road from No. 4 to No. 1 feels longer than any road you’ve ever taken. You’re struggling to learn how to relax without giving in to the fear of failure. Late last year you hired Richard Krajicek to bolster your attacking game in order to win against the players ranked higher than you.

All these years from now, I hope you haven’t forgotten how much you embraced the climb — from being unranked, to cracking the Top 50, to now.

Even if you never reached No. 1, I have faith that you continued to approach everything as meticulously as you do right now. No matter what you ended up doing after tennis, I hope you found something that channeled your passion and competitive spirit. There’s a quote from Steve Jobs, who I’ve been reading a lot about lately, that I hope you kept with you: “If today were the last day of my life,” he said, “would I want to do what I am about to do today? And whenever the answer has been no for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.”

feb-11

Remember how you dreamt of taking internships across all kinds of industries when you retired? I hope you explored that. I hope you went back to school, in an effort to try and refine all of those deep thoughts you were having all the time — if only so they were less messy. I hope you kept exploring: You grew up in a house where there wasn’t a ton of art and music, but in the last 18 months or so, those two fields have really started to inspire you. Spending time with Jeff Elrod in his studio in New York, and listening to John’s wife, the musician Patty Smyth, were two of the best things you did in the past year.

I’ll admit — it pains me to think about how I might feel if I don’t accomplish my goal. But my tennis career is what gave me the means to follow my deepest curiosities without fear of failure or financial ruin. It’s a blessing.

Right now, you are No. 4. I wonder how, in your old age, that makes you feel. I wonder what’s going to happen in the future. I wonder if I’ll climb the last three steps to No. 1. There’s a lot I can’t control. I guess that’s why I’m so meticulous about the things I can — my work ethic, my persistence, my energy.

I don’t know what is going to happen next. I just hope that when you read this, you can tell yourself, “I took every step that I thought was right, in the moment.”

If you can say that, you’ll be content, Milos.

If you did that — all respect to Andre — your life will have been far more than mediocre.

Top seed will go for his first title of 2017
Milos Raonic thinks he knows how to close the gap between himself and the very best players on the ATP World Tour: Become more unpredictable.
Raonic, the top seed at the Delray Beach Open this week, always wants his opponents wondering about his game, his location on the court and his next move. He wants all of his rivals, and especially those at the top of the Emirates ATP Rankings, to feel discomfort when he faces them across the net.
“You have to make them feel uncomfortable. Because as soon as you start giving them the same scenario too many times, they adjust in a fantastic manner and they're the best in the world at that,” Raonic said of the top players during a pre-tournament call with reporters.
The 6'5” right-hander has taken steps to become less predictable. In December, he hired former World No. 4 Richard Kraijcek as his coach. The 1996 Wimbledon champion captured 17 tour-level titles with a charge-the-net mindset. Early on in 2017, the Canadian has also done his best to continue improving his attacking style, reaching the quarter-finals of the Australian Open (l. to Nadal).
“What I feel like I needed to add to my game was not only the element of serving well and following it up with a big forehand, I felt like I needed to be able to get myself forward to take time away from them and make them always feel like I could make that step forward,” Raonic said.
The Canadian will make his debut appearance this week at the Delray Beach Open, an ATP World Tour 250 tournament. The World No. 4 will be the highest-ranked player to participate in the tournament during its 25-year history. In 2003 and 2007, respectively, World No. 6 Andy Roddick and World No. 6 James Blake played at the tournament. Roddick fell in his opener to countryman Mardy Fish; Blake lost in the final to Xavier Malisse.
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When Raonic was ranked much lower, at No. 361, he had hopes of playing at the 2010 Delray Beach Open. But he didn't make the cut for the qualifying draw.
“It's definitely nice to be able to come back. I'm very excited to play there and create a different storyline rather than it being the tournament that I didn't get into,” Raonic said.
The Delray Beach field is packed with top players again this year. Argentine Juan Martin del Potro starts his season at the tournament for the second year in a row. Del Potro reached the semi-finals last year during the beginning of his comeback year. The right-hander skipped the ATP World Tour events Down Under and the Australian Open last month to have a longer off-season and build up his fitness.
No. 20 Ivo Karlovic, No. 21 Jack Sock and No. 29 Sam Querrey, a wild card recipient, round out the top four seeds. Del Potro, No. 36, is the seventh seed.
In many ways, last season was the best year in Raonic's career. He finished with a career-high year-end Emirates ATP Ranking of No. 3. The Canadian reached his first Grand Slam final at Wimbledon before falling to Murray. During the semi-finals of the ATP Finals, the right-hander held a match point against World No. 1 Andy Murray.
But Raonic feels he's even better than he was a year ago. “I think that I'm a player that's moved along mentally and physically quite significantly over where I was 52 weeks ago, even where I was at the end of last year. That makes me very excited,” he said. “I've tried to be more outward with my energy in a positive way to get out a higher level continuously throughout the match, and I think that's what's going to make a difference in the important moments.”
Raonic last played in the quarter-finals in Melbourne. An old adductor injury bothered him during the match but he said he's feeling ready to play in south Florida. The 26 year old took about two weeks off from tennis to rest the injury.
“Everything's feeling good. The doctors and the physios are very happy with the progress I'm making and now it's really about just easing my way into it,” he said.
He will have plenty of fan support to help push him through any niggles this week. The Delray Beach tournament is a favourite among Canadians who have moved south.
“I'm well aware that there is a huge Canadian contingency down there. I know that people will come out. It's a tournament that I've always wanted to play,” he said. “I'm very excited about [it] and hopefully it leads to good things for me to getting my year going and getting some good matches in.”