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ROLAND GARROS

May 29, 2016

Milos Raonic

Paris, France

A. RAMOS-VINOLAS/M. Raonic

6-2, 6-4, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You had your hip worked on last match. How much of a lingering issue was that today?
MILOS RAONIC: I don't think it really had any effect on that. Going forward, it's not on my mind at all.

Q. How impressed were you with his effort? I know it's something you don't think of when you're out there, but looking back now?
MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, he played well. He's doing things well. He's having the, for sure, the best week he's had on tour, and he's doing things well. He's moving the ball around well. He's playing deep. He's personally moving well. He did things quite efficiently today.

Q. I guess if you could have picked the conditions today you'd have preferred it a bit faster and bouncier out there?
MILOS RAONIC: But I couldn't really pick them. If the sun is out it's always a better conditions for me.

Q. Did it take a bit of pace out of the court? Today it seemed pretty clammy out there.
MILOS RAONIC: It's slower and heavier conditions. But it's me facing the exact same thing he's facing. Who does that benefit? Obviously that's up for interpretation, but I had a simple task out there to try to find a way to win and I wasn't able to find that today.

Q. Can you just talk a little bit about bringing John McEnroe onto your team, what you think he'll bring to what you're doing on the court and how that came about?
MILOS RAONIC: I was sort of just looking for another set of eyes to be a bit more efficient on grass, and I think people are seeing it as just plain folks on grass, that's what it's far from. It's about generally improving. I want to improve that coming forward and I want to improve putting more pressure on my opponents.

I feel like I was a lot more efficient at the beginning of the year coming forward, and it's something that I would like to put a lot of attention to and find a way. And it just works out with grass that's probably the thing that will benefit me the most. And now there is going to be the three weeks leading to Wimbledon that we are going to work, and really put some attention to that and just find that go sort of groove, that efficiency.

Then other parts of my game, what I can do a bit differently to be better, and it's not just by any means just with the intention of Wimbledon. It's about generally improving.

Q. How it came about? How many weeks a year do you envisage you and John hooking up?
MILOS RAONIC: Those three weeks. Those three weeks. I'm sure he'll consult throughout Wimbledon, as well, but he has his obligations through Wimbledon. I'll have Carlos there with me, but I'm sure from aside he watches tennis. At the end of the day he loves tennis. He's going to see matches. I'm sure he'll have some advice to give, and some quality advice to give, as well.

Q. You must take it as a compliment that an ex-player of his stature is agreeing to work with you and sees potential in you on the big stage?
MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, it's a great honor, and, you know, there's a lot I want to achieve. And I'm what seems maybe far from it today, but I feel like I'm a lot closer and I'm going to try to do everything I can to sort of maximize that myself and maximize giving myself that opportunity to achieve those goals.

Q. He was obviously known for being a fairly volatile player on court, which is far from you generally. That's the way he went about the game, how that will mix with you. You are going to have three coaches now, seems like potentially a lot of chefs working on one dish?
MILOS RAONIC: At the end of the day of the day, every coach I have is to some extent an advisor, and it is my job personally, out of everything I hear, to weigh what it's worth and weigh what is best for me. I'm the CEO of the Milos Raonic Tennis. That's it. I take everybody's consultations very personally. I know everybody I have around me wants to help me to the fullest.

I work very hard, and it's going to be about putting the things together right, and sort of taking those things that I can really do on a day-to-day basis to improve.

At the same time, it's not a focus for just Wimbledon. It's John coming along to help me improve in general.

Q. What would you be most disappointed with today? Was there anything you were pleased with in your play during the match?
MILOS RAONIC: I have to say I'm disappointed I lost. I think I lost, main reason was because the foundation of my game wasn't there. I didn't serve well. I think when I look back probably at a stat sheet, my numbers were probably pretty poor when it comes down to that.

I gave myself opportunities on his serve, but the day is a lot easier for the other guy when I don't serve well.

So I fought as hard as I could. That's probably the thing I will be the most proud about, but now it's just about sort of resetting and putting the attention on what matters most and move forward.

Q. Do you know what the plan is for tournaments heading into Wimbledon?
MILOS RAONIC: Queen's.

Q. Just Queen's?
MILOS RAONIC: No.

Q. No thought of adding one anywhere?
MILOS RAONIC: No, my body doesn't handle probably more than two weeks in a row. Let's just keep it on that and let's spend time on the court.

Q. Was your opponent's handedness today an issue, lefties in general for you?
MILOS RAONIC: I wouldn't think so. I think sort of the way the match went out, efficient from both sides. Normally I was maybe expecting a little bit more of a chance when I went deep to his backhand. He was playing it deep well down the line, but I don't think that there was any effect it was righty or lefty.

I think this tournament in general I played definitely way too passive and I let the other guys dictate too much. I counted on sort of scrapping and fighting to get myself through, which was enough, and it wasn't enough today.

Q. A few players talked about the Olympics coming up and not having ranking points being a disappointment for them or disincentive for playing. Is that a factor for you? I know it's a pretty crowded part of the calendar for you.
MILOS RAONIC: Points or no points, it doesn't really matter. I think the goal and the target is very simple, and you're there to win a medal. The shinier the better.

Q. In terms of serving and volleying and the improvements you want to do, obviously it's more complicated than just charging in and hitting a volley. When you look at videos of McEnroe in Wimbledon, for example, what are things that you saw him doing that you would like to do? Is it just a matter of improving your technique or is there some tactics that, you know, you saw him use that you want to do? For example, today I saw you slice from behind the baseline and come in off of that, from your backhand side, chipping and charging. I'm wondering what's your thinking on this.
MILOS RAONIC: Well, I think I'm always looking to improve technically. I think technically my volleys are pretty good. I improved this year a lot hitting my forehand.

I think on clay it's difficult because you get stuck in a slide and understanding the volleys are mostly hit with the legs rather than the arm or the wrist. I think it's more about if you see great volleyers volley, most of the time volleys are pretty easy and it's because of positioning.

It's those things that I want to -- those instincts where I put myself in the court, how I position myself, those things are the things that I think I can improve on the most.

I feel like sometimes I'm just probably, for not being up there so much over the last little while, I'm not in the right position and therefore not cutting off the right angles and therefore not putting the right kind of pressure.

Q. Clay to grass, today's game, we have a lot of baseliners been winning Wimbledon the last decade or so.
MILOS RAONIC: I think there hasn't been a quality of volleyer like there has been in the past. I think it's key for me. I think I showed that throughout Australia, how efficient I can be up there when I'm doing the things right.

I think if I am looking to give myself the best chance possible to win a Grand Slam, if not more than that, that's going to be the thing about I can take care of my serve. If I can constantly put pressure and find a way forward, make the guys sort of think, I think I can give myself a good opportunity.

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