AUSTRALIAN OPEN

February 10, 2021

Milos Raonic

Press Conference

M. RAONIC/C. Moutet

6-7, 6-1, 6-1, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Tell us about your match today.

MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, it was overall where I wanted to get in the end, but there were some hiccups at the beginning. I created some opportunities, didn't make the most of it. It was sort of smooth sailing after that.

Overall happy to be through. Gives me some things to focus on tomorrow before my next one.

Q. Have the Canadian restrictions affected you the last 11 months or so in terms of being able to see family, travel?

MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, for me the hardest thing is family, whether it be me going there or them being able to come see me. My parents are a little bit older. I don't want them sort of traveling. They're in that risk age, over 65. I don't think it's wise for them to be traveling. I'm not really able to get back there as well just because of the restrictions.

Yeah, I think I've only seen my parents, who I see months of the year normally, I've only been able to see them I think five days last year. So it's quite a different feeling.

Q. Before March?

MILOS RAONIC: Two days before March and then three days in August.

Q. Did you go back there?

MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, I went back there.

Q. Before the US Open?

MILOS RAONIC: Just before the US Open. I had to go up there, see my doctor, get a checkup. There was a long period of time I was away from home before the tournament swing. I went up there.

Q. The rest of the year do you think you'll go back at all?

MILOS RAONIC: I will. I'm not going to play a full schedule. My family and those people that are close to me, they're too important to neglect that aspect of my life.

Q. What sense of hope do you hope is given to fans around the world who see the tournament going on and fans in the stands while there have been so many problems with the pandemic?

MILOS RAONIC: I think it's nice to have it. I think it's something that, with the way things are going on around the world, the situation, country by country at least, where we're going in the near future with our tour, I think it's something that's probably going to be exclusive to here.

I think it's something positive to see that there is sort of a way to get to this stage. I think a lot of countries around the world are definitely behind in that sense, but also a lot of other countries don't have the same -- it's not really freedoms, but the same advantages to be able to shut down. At the end of the day, Australia, as big as it is, it is an island, so it's easier to shut things down from coming in and out.

Canada to the U.S., there's too much work, too many trucks that go back and forth. Obviously the European Union having open borders, that would have to be places you're stationing in. There's a lot of streets you'd have to be covering to be able to do it like they've done it here and in New Zealand.

I think it's really encouraging that they understood their advantages they had here and they made the most of them. I think that's why the community is reaping the benefits now.