Is isn’t very often a player welcomes their former coach to watch them achieve one of their biggest milestones. Then again, the bond formed between Milos Raonic and John McEnroe is a formidable one.
Since ending their collaboration earlier this year due to McEnroe’s media commitments, Raonic has still sought the advice of the former world No.1 on the tour on a somewhat ‘loose basis.’ It is an unsurprising outcome considering their time together resulted in the Canadian reaching back-to-back finals at the Aegon Championships and Wimbledon.
“It’s a pleasure to have him there (the O2 Arena). He shares a lot of wisdom with me, a lot of his opinions. I respect that. I respect him a lot for all those kind of things. It was a big plus to have him there.” Raonic said about his former mentor.
Dismissing Dominic Thiem in straight sets on Thursday, Raonic is now preparing for his first semifinal appearance at the prestigious year-end finals in London. Guiding him at this week’s tournament is the dynamic duo of Riccardo Piatti and former world No.1 Carlos Moya. It is a setup that fits in well with the work ethic of the 25-year-old, but he admits that he always welcomes some extra input from McEnroe.
“John I believe is already leaving tomorrow (Friday), so he won’t be here for my next match. But we’ll be in touch. We always are on a loose basis.” He said.
This week isn’t just about winning for the Wimbledon finalist, the year-end No.3 ranking is also at stake. Engaged in a battled with fellow rivals Stan Wawrinka and Kei Nishikori, Raonic currently leads the three-man race by only 135 points (before Friday’s play at the ATP Finals).
“It’s very big for me.” He said about the position. “I had a very big goal of wanting to win my first slam this year. I came up short on that. That was what I had for myself as the biggest motivator after the US Open. That’s what I had for myself as the biggest motivator to come here and try to heal up quickly and play.”
Regardless of the outcome of Saturday’s semifinal, Raonic can take solitude in what has been a breakthrough season where he won the Brisbane title and reached the semifinals (or better) at two grand slam tournaments. Few can dispute the successful work invested in him by both Piatti and Moya, but they will never be able to take Raonic away from the influence of McEnroe.
McEnroe may no longer be his coach, but he remains a principal stakeholder in Raonic’s career.
