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THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 2, 2018

Milos Raonic

Wimbledon, London, England

M. RAONIC/L. Broady

7-5, 6-0, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Did you expect to have such a good run after it was 5-5 in the first set?
MILOS RAONIC: You know, he hit a couple really good shots, made some impressive shots at the beginning, had that look at the beginning of I think my first return game. Didn't make the most of it, but yeah, I didn't think it was going to go that way that quickly after, but I'm glad it did.

Q. It was very high level from you.
MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, no, I did a lot of things well. Once I sort of -- obviously I expected to be tight the first set, go out there and didn't -- I needed a moment just to free up once I got that break. He got a little bit tight on that 5-All game or 5-6, and after that I freed up and I thought I played really well.

Q. Do you feel fairly fit?
MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, I feel body's allowing me to play and hopefully that continues for a very long time.

Q. Have you set yourself a target?
MILOS RAONIC: To win the next match.

Q. How tough is it dealing with the wind? I know with your serve it's important for you to have the toss in the same place. You talked about that before. How much of a key is it?
MILOS RAONIC: I don't think it's too bad. I actually don't mind serving with the wind just because I tend to hit through my serve. I think if you take through physics I think a ball can only affect the serve at 120 so much compared to maybe affecting a second serve at 90 or 80 miles an hour.

So it doesn't really make too much difference on my serve. I just have to be disciplined with myself when it comes to it, and maybe that's the only part. If you're really disciplined with yourself it doesn't really make that much of a difference.

Q. Having Goran on your side, a guy that engineered one of the most compelling victories in Wimbledon history, is that comforting at all to you? What kind of wisdom does he give to you? This is your first Wimbledon together.
MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, I don't think we sort of look at it that way. I think it's more the way he communicates with me and the messages he really focuses on with me.

Some of the best stuff we have done has actually been off the court. I haven't been consistently healthy enough to really put forth a day-to-day plan all the time.

So we have actually had a lot of discussions off-court. One of them was, Hey, you know, maybe the last week didn't go how you would have wanted to prepare but these are the things you need to focus on when you get here. That way you can sort of find yourself and work yourself into this tournament.

Q. You're getting close to 10 years playing here, juniors, grass, all this stuff. What does the familiarity with playing on grass do for you?
MILOS RAONIC: I think for me it's just -- I think the last four years I really just know what I need to do from the first practice. It's not like I'm sort of second-guessing. I might feel uncomfortable doing it because you're just coming off clay where it's quite different in that sense. But I know exactly, Hey, this is how I need to hit the ball.

I can't slow down things just because the court sometimes helps. I have to sort of stay on top of those things and find my groove through it, sort of working through it, not trying to go around it. I think that's the most important thing for me.

Q. I feel like you can win the championship here, you know, and that you would normally be one of the favorites if you were healthy, but the injuries have always sort of been in the background with you. I'm wondering in your own mind do you feel like, I really believe I can win this whole thing?
MILOS RAONIC: Definitely. I gotta put together seven good days.

Q. Six good days.
MILOS RAONIC: Six more. One in the bag (smiling).

Q. Do you feel you're under the radar a bit? Because you left Queen's and people maybe are thinking Milos is injured, he might not be a force here, and you can kind of surprise people?
MILOS RAONIC: I am a tennis player that goes out there and tries to do things. I'm not really concerned so much on other people's perspective of it.

Q. Millman and Travaglia.
MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, I think it's maybe -- Travaglia won the first set, break the other way. It will be a good match either way. I haven't necessarily seen Stefano play a lot. I will have to do a little bit more homework there.

I have seen John around for many years now. You know, it's going to be about trying to be the one that has the opportunity to be aggressive first and just sort of staying with the foot down in that sense and try to dictate play.

Q. I thought you were rather funny in Stuttgart in your post-final speech where you asked Roger, Do you ever get sick of it? Correct me if I'm wrong, I interpreted that you might be a little sick of it yourself, of him winning so often and maybe it would be nice it will be your time for once.
MILOS RAONIC: It's not a particular focus on Roger. I'm just sick of myself losing.

Q. Where do you think Denis is at on grass? He's still 19 and in your career you had to make an adjustment, right? Spent a lot of time practicing. How long do you think it's going to take him to sort of...
MILOS RAONIC: Could change in one week. Could change in one week.

Q. Really? That fast?
MILOS RAONIC: Well, it could. People said he couldn't really play on clay, and all of a sudden he makes semis of Madrid. It can change very quickly.

You know, you sort of do a few things, confidence gets behind you, you start to play well. You figure what works for you and all of a sudden year after year you have just something to look back on, hey, these are the tools that were important for me. And you just have this sort of set of commands you tell yourself that are important and that you utilize.

It just carries through. So this could be the week. If not, I'm sure it's going to come to him quickly, but he's played well on grass, as well. I remember last year before his breakthrough or anything, he was very close against Berdych, I think 7-6 in the third at Queen's. You know, it's not like he's been incapable on this surface. He's played well. He just hasn't put it together.

Grass is a little unforgiving because so many matches can come down to one or two instances, and, you know, people don't necessarily give the credit, but he's done good things.

Q. What happened to the leggings?
MILOS RAONIC: The leggings? I didn't need them.

Q. Wasn't it a question you weren't allowed to wear them?
MILOS RAONIC: No, no.

Q. Regarding another topic, the arrangement for ATP to launch ATP World Team Cup, what is your position? And with Davis Cup, do you think it's a good thing to change as well or do you think now it would be better to stay...
MILOS RAONIC: I'm not necessarily sure exactly the format or extent. One thing that Davis Cup will have is it has its history and prestige, the fact you want to be a part of that. It's going to take some time for the World Team Cup necessarily to catch up in that.

But it is a good format, it is a format that I'm sure players will enjoy from what I understand so far, and it is a format also that is put in a part of the year where players are going to be very eager to play.

So that's helping it a lot. So it's going to be up to the ATP to sort of set the right storyline and the right precedent and the right promotion for it to really grow it. I think it could grow quick, but certain things are going to happen. You're going to have to have the best players there, and I don't know how it's going to affect other things. Only time will tell.

Q. (Indiscernible.)
MILOS RAONIC: I don't know. I don't know how it affects it. Time will tell. It's going to depend on if Davis Cup becomes somewhat more friendly for players, if it holds on -- if it goes and Davis Cup tries to change and become this radically different thing, that won't be great, either. Because that's going to lose the biggest appeal of Davis Cup, which is the fact you can play home and away. So you have to sort of find a middle ground in it, and that's not going to be easy.

Some players will be happy. Some players won't. But it's about educating the fans and the players with the right storyline, hey, this is what this part can do for you and this is how you can be a part of something pretty special.

Q. If you decided on a cold day or whatever you needed the leggings, do you know if you could wear them?
MILOS RAONIC: I haven't asked but I don't think it's an issue. Nobody's told me anything different.

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