Wimbledon finalist Milos Raonic has confirmed that he will continue his collaboration with John McEnroe throughout the North American hardcourt season.
The Canadian hired the former world No.1 to help him develop his game during the grass-court season. During their brief period together, Raonic achieved a win-loss of 10-2 on the grass under the watchful eye of McEnroe. At the Wimbledon championships he became the first male Canadian player in history to reach the final of the tournament.
Capitalising on his recent breakthrough on the tour, the world No.7 intends to keep McEnroe in his team. It is understood that the 57-year-old will not be with Raonic at both the Toronto and Cincinnati Masters. The plan was confirmed by Raonic during an interview with Sportsnet reporter Arash Madani.
Milos Raonic tells me he and John McEnroe will continue to work together for the hardcourt season, but McEnroe won't be in Toronto or Cinci.
— Arash Madani (@ArashMadani) July 18, 2016
In his interview with Madani, Raonic also addressed his decision to withdraw from next month’s Olympic Games due to fears about the mosquito-borne Zika Virus. He is amongst a series of high-profile players that have withdrawn over the health concerns. Other notable absentees include Simona Halep and Tomas Berdych.
“It’s still a decision I’m still struggling (with), but a decision that I made and that I’ve committed to,” Raonic said about skipping the Olympic Games.
“But it’s a decision that I’m struggling, still, to accept at this point … because I want to be there. So you can’t erase that emotional factor. You want to be there.”
Ronic’s highly publicised reason for missing the event made headlines around the world. Since the announcement, he has now also attributed his schedule to the reason behind his withdrawal, a stark contrast to his Zika Virus concerns.
“I’ve never done well with doing three tournaments in a row. I’ve always tried to keep it to two – not three,” Raonic explained.
“Factor in it’s three tournaments with at least 12 hours of travel to one, and also (the Olympics) can be quite emotionally draining because it’s just not about tennis there, but the spectacle of things. For that, it’s the best choice.”
Next week Raonic will be the sixth seed in the Rogers Cup. The 25-year-old will be bidding to become the first Canadian to win the title since Robert Bedard in 1958.
