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BNP PARIBAS OPEN

March 9, 2019

Milos Raonic

Indian Wells, California

M. RAONIC/S. Querrey

7-6, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You recently switched coaches. Seems a little odd considering Santoro is more of a finesse player and Goran was more of a hard hitter. How do you see it?
MILOS RAONIC: It was more from the perspective of approach rather than what kind of player they were. I don't think necessarily that limits you to a certain kind of player you can work with, just the way he played.

I sat down with Fabrice. We had a discussion, and I thought we both saw eye to eye very much about the things that I wanted to do with my game, where it should go. I felt it would be worthwhile to give it a try.

Q. First set was very close. How did you manage to pull it out and dominate the tiebreak so well?
MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, I was there for a lot of games. I didn't serve well today, but I did return well. I put in a lot of returns. Did things well on that end of the court, but I struggled a little bit. And in the tiebreak I served a little bit better, especially that first point, got a free point. Right away made it count.

I just feel like some things I'm doing well. I'm just hoping that I can start to serve better in my next round and continue to play well.

Q. Do you know what's wrong with the serve when you have a day like that?
MILOS RAONIC: It's more rhythm. It's just about, you know, when you don't -- you try to force it too much, try to make things happen too much, and then you sort of -- it sort of unravels a little bit quicker than it normally would.

Q. Shouldn't you have figured that out by now?
MILOS RAONIC: You know what? We'll see if I do figure it out. How's your serve, Tom?

Q. Pathetic.
MILOS RAONIC: Shouldn't you have figured that out by now? (Smiling.)

Q. Marcos next. What's the scouting report?
MILOS RAONIC: You know, moves well. I watched a little bit of today, but it's hard for me to really get a sense. I think I'll take the time and maybe speak with Chardy, who I play doubles with this week, to get a bit more of a sense.

I think what he can do against a player like De Minaur compared to a player like me is different and probably his approach is different. So I'll have to see the match with Chardy and that probably will have more value to a guy who plays more similar to me to see how things played out and what he likes to favor, little things that I can take home with me.

Q. I was wanting to know about your thoughts on Kermode's situation with the ATP and being voted off, in terms of a renewal, and what you think it means for men's tennis.
MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, I'm not aware of the details of the business side of things and the specifics. Obviously there was some displeasure amongst the player representatives at council. They went about things the best way they felt was right.

I didn't know that it was -- from what I understood it was that if he doesn't get the renewal now doesn't mean that he won't later.

Q. He's already announced he's not coming back. It goes to the end of the year.
MILOS RAONIC: He's done a lot of good things. It's hard to really know. I think what happens is everybody always thinks things can be better, in that sense, and you don't really know until you cross that path and go through that door. Will things be better with the next regime? I don't know.

But obviously people felt like it was time for a change, and there were some things that they were not happy with how things were managed. I don't know the specifics.

Q. Do you have any sense what the players should be getting that they're not getting, and from your point of view personally, what do you think you should be getting?
MILOS RAONIC: I don't know what discussions often are, but I think if you look at the divides that go through player compensation at tournaments, I think at the meetings I sit in and for the attention that I pay to it, I think that comes up always.

And from tournaments or Grand Slams, that's what they are always coming back with is how profits are being divided from the events that are doing extremely well.

Q. Other sports at a high level have a union, players are more independent from tournaments themselves. How do you feel about that option for tennis?
MILOS RAONIC: Having a union? I think it's going to be tough. I think players are too focused on themselves, which they have every right to be. It's just the demands of the sport, and people have almost like too short of a vision. Because everybody is thinking about what they can get within their career time, and obviously now careers have extended to almost 20 years. I don't know what the average is, but I'd say it's close to 15; whereas before, some guys were only thinking what they can get three years ahead of time.

I think maybe that's what needs to be looked at more. I think if that is, I think the union or formation of one has a good chance.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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