ROLEX PARIS MASTERS

November 7, 2020

Milos Raonic

Press Conference

D. MEDVEDEV/M. Raonic

6-4, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What do you think made the difference today against Daniil?

MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, you know, I think in some key moments he found a way to be a bit more the aggressor. He was dictating a bit more. I was trying to change the pace up. But, you know, maybe I started to find the rhythm of that a little bit too late.

I think he was a lot more efficient at creating his opportunities. I don't know what the numbers are on breakpoints converted. I think each time he had one or at least most of the time he was converting, and I let a few go in that first game. I let a few go before I managed to finally get the break in that last one.

Yeah, just little things like that that make a big difference.

Q. Was there anything that you would have liked to have done differently out there this afternoon? Also, what are your positive takeaways for the tournament?

MILOS RAONIC: Well, I'm sure I'll be able to look back through this week and many other weeks. There is a lot of things I'm doing much better than where I left off, even playing well in Australia at the beginning of the year, but I think I have made good steps forward.

I have even in a year that's now been really tough to move up the ranking, I have given myself a chance to move up quite well without which, you know, some parts of the season that would have probably been more beneficial to me on grass and so forth.

So all those kind of things are positives. Each week I have been winning at least some matches and giving myself an opportunity to continue through tournaments, playing more and more matches, get back into the swing of consecutive matches, back-to-back matches, winning tough matches, coming back the next day being able to play well without any physical issues.

All those kind of things I'm going to have a lot of positives to take away from and a lot of very motivating things to push me into the next training block and for the start of next year.

Q. The past few weeks in general have been quite intense and back to back on the tour with lockdowns in certain cities and restrictions and all that. If you look ahead to next year, can you imagine going through a full season with similar conditions, or do you think you're going to have to be very selective with where you're going to be playing?

MILOS RAONIC: Well, I think it's all going to depend on what the rules are with the ranking and how that's going to update past Indian Wells. Because, you know, if it's like this week in and week out, and you know you're going to have the possibility to hopefully play a full season, I will be playing much less because a lot of things will carry over from this year in the 250s, 500s level.

I don't know if I would necessarily be going to too many of those if I don't need to, and especially not having to worry about zeros opening up on the ranking. Especially under the conditions of not being able to leave the hotel room, all these kind of things, me personally, it's just not something that's psychologically healthy for me or even just for the soul, and I have to have a little bit of freedom in that sense.

And I think it's the right things to do now, but under those conditions for long bouts of time, it's not something that I'm going to definitely be looking forward to.

Q. Daniil has sort of relatively flown under the radar I think compared to last year when he made nine finals. From what you saw today, how close is he to where he was last year?

MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, I think he's playing just as well, maybe better, I think. Just little things, the intangibles of confidence, you know, maybe it makes a little bit of a difference here and there.

But from what I have seen him play this week and even played well at the US Open, played well in Cincinnati, was ahead in the match, sort of let that get away from him against Bautista, all the events he's played on hard courts, I thought he's looked quite good. Just those small points like today didn't go his way earlier, and I think that was maybe the difference, you know, what a nine-week momentum swing can do for you and that confidence.