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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 21, 2020

Milos Raonic

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

M. RAONIC/L. Giustino

6-2, 6-1, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How did you find out about Albot?
MILOS RAONIC: Somebody was talking to me, I can't remember exactly who about, in the locker room. I just went to ask, I guess, the tournament director, supervisor, and he told me they're just waiting for the medical to come through. I heard from somebody else first.

Q. That was an hour before the match happened?
MILOS RAONIC: It was probably when the girls before me were starting, so two hours maybe.

Q. Did you hear a reason? Because they never actually seemed to give one out.
MILOS RAONIC: He wasn't able to serve, so I don't know necessarily what the rest of it was.

Q. What can you say about mostly yesterday and a bit about today?
MILOS RAONIC: You know, to start off in that way, especially not having played a lot of matches, to play a pretty clean match and obviously to come back today and be efficient, all of those things are positive, something I can build off of.

Q. Is it better for experienced players like yourself when you have conditions like we had yesterday where you don't know whether you're going to go back out there or have to wait for another day?
MILOS RAONIC: I think everybody's sort of in the same situation. I was in a very fortunate situation where I was one game away.

So coming out today I didn't really -- if I could do my thing well, which I can normally take care of my serve, I didn't think it would be too long of a day for me. I think it's different for guys maybe that split the first two sets and technically have a two-out-of-three set match to play today or where momentums can more shift in that kind of scenario.

But that wasn't the case for me today.

Q. What's your medical update? Back, knee, various things that have sort of ailed you over the last 12 months, where are you at with everything now?
MILOS RAONIC: I have been, since the end of the season, I took time to recover my back and take care of a few other things.

I was able to train for about six, seven weeks straight without any hindrances, no setbacks. I was thankful for that. I came out and I was able to play in Doha and train before Doha, train here without anything.

It's been fortunate so far.

Q. With Denis and Felix, and Bianca of course winning the US Open last year, you're a former Wimbledon finalist, not yet 30 years of age, does it bother you? Do you feel like, Okay, I want to get back there in the headlines and that kind of stuff?
MILOS RAONIC: I'm a pretty quiet guy. I couldn't care less about that. I care about what I can do on the court. Whatever comes with that, comes with that, but for that being my motive, that's the farthest thing from it.

Q. What are your expectations for this event? You say you're healthy now. What kind of expectations...
MILOS RAONIC: One match at a time. When you look back at it, it's almost like playing sporadically for the last three years. In its own way it's like a hiatus.

I have to build myself back up and get some momentum, get some consistency, and then give myself an opportunity. Luckily have a chance to go out again tomorrow hopefully with good health and everything and see where I'm at. Then take it day by day that way.

Q. Would the Olympics be on your radar this year?
MILOS RAONIC: Yes.

Q. In that three years of on-and-off play, do you see the game as being pretty much where it was since you made the Wimbledon final? Do you feel like there are more dangerous players?
MILOS RAONIC: I think maybe -- I don't think it's really changed in any sense. I think maybe just a few guys got filtered out in three years. Three years ago, Berdych, Ferrer, they both retired last year. I have these younger guys that have stepped up, Sascha, Stefanos, a few others, as well, and the Canadians.

I think it's been a shift, but I don't think it's -- it's still the guys that have been winning the big events.

Q. How would you feel about Garin tomorrow if he finishes off?
MILOS RAONIC: I don't know much about him. He played really well last year. I think he won two tournaments, made a few other finals. It's going to be a tough match.

He's mostly a clay-court player but he can play well. He's won his fair share of matches throughout last year, and it's going to be tough. I'm going to have to do my thing, as well.

Q. How ticked off were you yesterday? I didn't see the very end. What was the situation like with one game to go? Was there any way you thought you could have played it?
MILOS RAONIC: If I was serving, maybe I would have rushed it. But to receive and have to move, I don't think so.

And the rain came down pretty quickly. Once it started -- it wasn't like there was a moment of maybe we could have played one or two points in the moments where it was drizzling at the beginning.

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