Canada’s Milos Raonic is hoping that he will be able to put his recent injury woes to one side by finishing 2017 on a high note.
The former Wimbledon finalist hasn’t played a match on the tour since the Rogers Cup due to pain in his left wrist. Recently he underwent minor surgery to remove part of the bone in his wrist that has been causing his discomfort. Despite the setback, Raonic is aiming to return to action soon with the upcoming Japan Open in his sight.
“I’m looking to finish the year strong,” he told Sportsnet. “The injury was to my non-dominant arm so it didn’t slow me down too much. I’ve been hitting and I’ve been able to practice.”
Due to his absence from the tour, the 26-year-old has fallen out of the world’s top 10 to 11th place. A stark contrast to when he reached a ranking high of 3rd in the world last November.
During his injury lay-off, Raonic’s fellow Davis Cup teammate has managed to shine on the tour. Since June, Denis Shapovalov has risen up the rankings by almost 150 places. At the Rogers Cup he defeated Rafael Nadal on route to the semifinals. Then at the US Open he broke new territory by making the fourth round of a grand slam for the first time in his career at the age of 18.
“He went out on Arthur Ashe (US Open centre court) three times in a row, and I think it actually helped him play better and motivated him,” Raonic said of Shapovalov. “He played fearlessly. He thrived in those situations that are not necessarily easy to thrive in.”
Raonic’s comments occurred during an Aviva event at the Leaside Tennis Club on Wednesday. During the event, the world No.11 held a question and answer session with a group of children from the local tennis club. He also gave an insight into what it is like to play on the tour.
#live with @milosraonic at Leaside Tennis Club – winner of Aviva’s tennis contest https://t.co/igcJPUfO8X
— Aviva Canada (@AvivaCanada) 26 September 2017
The Japan Open will get underway next Monday on October 2nd where Raonic will be trying to win his first title of the season. He has won at least one title on the ATP tour every year since 2011.
