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BARCLAYS ATP WORLD TOUR FINALS

November 19, 2016

Milos Raonic

London, England, United Kingdom

A. MURRAY/M. Raonic

5-7, 7-6, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. During that match you were two points from victory at the end. The level was high. Victory and defeat are so close when players like you are on the court? You will try again? How do you feel now?
MILOS RAONIC: I think I had a match point, so that's not two points.

There's a lot to take away from it. I have to be proud that I finished the year with giving it every ounce of energy I had. I'm pretty sure I'm going to feel like crap tomorrow.

I'll look back at 2016 with a lot of good moments, a lot of pride, a lot to be proud of.

Q. This week you've done really well and you pushed the world No. 1 and world No. 2 almost to the brink. Where do you see the reason for them winning and you not?
MILOS RAONIC: I think they dealt better with the opportunities. They maximized better on those opportunities. They've been here many more times than I have. They've been in those situations many more times than I have.

I think in both matches I had more breakpoint opportunities, I had more chances. Obviously it can go both ways. But I have to be very proud that I gave myself opportunities, great opportunities, against both of them for the first time this year.

Q. Among those many chances you had today, which one is the biggest for you?
MILOS RAONIC: Honestly, I can't tell you too many of the points, what happened. I don't remember too many of them. Maybe it's better.

Q. Were there times in that match that you would have wilted in the past and you kept going because of the progress you've made over the past year?
MILOS RAONIC: There was definitely some moments where I could have gotten down on myself, where I could have been my own worst enemy.

But today I really tried to, in the best way possible, leave it all out there. I turned it around for myself twice there at the end of the third. I turned it around for myself almost there in the tiebreak. I just did everything I could, everything that was within me, at least to really try to win. It's that simple.

Q. I know this is a loss to end the season, but there's a lot of good things to take away from the year. What has this year meant to you? What do you take away from this going into the next season?
MILOS RAONIC: There's definitely a lot to take away from it. The goal is going to be to continue to stay healthy. That's the one thing that's been sort of my kryptonite. Most moments I can start playing well, but rather than making momentum and progress, I can sometimes take myself two steps back. I sort of have to reset myself, whether that be through injuries or other issues.

Q. Physically this was a very taxing match. You didn't have the most ideal preparation coming into this tournament. How do you feel you coped with a very long match?
MILOS RAONIC: No, I thought I did well. I managed with a lot of things. I think the thing that I'll probably be most proud of when I sit down and talk with my coaches is just the way I kept fighting through.

A lot of things seemed difficult today. A lot of things seemed difficult, like it would be a tough day before the match, just throughout everything over the last little while. I really just put it all out there, just gave it a go with everything.

Like I said, I'll probably feel like crap for the next few days. But at least mentally I'll be proud of the way things finished.

Q. We don't know who is going to finish No. 1. You played Andy probably as much as anyone this year. Could you reflect on his qualities, his push here the second half of the year, if he ends up No. 1.
MILOS RAONIC: He's done a lot of great things. He's really stepped up in these moments, have it be against Novak, which in a cynical way I'm sort of hoping for, because that gives me the third spot.

That will be the biggest test, I think. Andy has been the best player in the world definitely for the last six months. That's the only thing that's sort of missing from there, is that showdown with Novak. If that's the scenario tomorrow, it couldn't be a more ideal one, let's say, for a person that loves tennis.

Q. When you lose, you cannot be happy. Do you think this has been the best match you ever played?
MILOS RAONIC: The best match I've ever competed, yes. I don't know necessarily playing-wise. I don't think I necessarily served phenomenal throughout the match, these kinds of things.

But the way I was constantly trying to stay positive, keep my energy up, trying to fight through, that's definitely the most significant thing I've done today.

Q. You're coughing a little bit. Have you played 3 hours and 38 minutes with a cold?
MILOS RAONIC: I'm sure it will be more than a cold tomorrow (smiling).

Q. Andy hasn't had to go through Novak really. Is that sort of the thing that's missing for you in his chase for No. 1? He's won a lot of these tournaments, but he hasn't played Novak.
MILOS RAONIC: Nothing's missing in that storyline. Tennis ranking is a game of checks and balances. Who's going to finish No. 1 is who does the best that year. Doesn't matter whether they played or not.

Yes, you could take that away from Andy in a way. Then you could also say it's sort of Novak's responsibility to get to that point because Andy was there every single week.

Regardless or not if they play tomorrow, if not obviously Andy's still the best player in the world of 2016. There's no question about it.

Q. Can you talk about how having a tiebreak to decide a match changes the match for you, from how you approach it?
MILOS RAONIC: In terms of if there wasn't a tiebreak at the end?

Q. It's a tiebreak rather than a long set. Does it feel different as you come to the end of the match? Do you approach it differently?
MILOS RAONIC: I don't know. You can correct me if I'm wrong here, but I think I've only gone one time into an extended fifth set. It wasn't even a fifth set. It was a third set at the Olympics. I'm more so used to tiebreaks.

To be honest with you, with my game, they've been quite generous to me in third sets. They've gotten me a ways through.

Q. You were two points from winning in the second set. One match point in the third set. Did you feel that you were closer to win mentally, more confident in the second set than the third, or vice versa?
MILOS RAONIC: No, I think it's different. Probably the later part of the third set I wasn't necessarily the most confident in it. Obviously when you get to a tiebreak, when I take away two opportunities for him to serve it out, I'm feeling very good about my chances.

The other one, we're at a tiebreak, so I'll still feel good.

The first one, there wasn't that much of a mental shift in the second set. I think I put stuff in my favor in the third set. I think I probably had a better go at it in that third set than in the second.

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