Raonic Aims For Unpredictability In Delray Beach

The gap between Milos Raonic and the very best players on the ATP World Tour comes down to an adjective: unpredictable.

Raonic, the top seed at the Delray Beach Open this week, always wants his opponents wondering about his game, his location on the court and his next move. He wants all of his rivals, and especially those at the top of the Emirates ATP Rankings, to feel discomfort when he faces them across the net.

“You have to make them feel uncomfortable. Because as soon as you start giving them the same scenario too many times, they adjust in a fantastic manner and they’re the best in the world at that,” Raonic said of the top players during a pre-tournament call with reporters.

The 6’5” right-hander has taken steps to become less predictable. In December, he hired former World No. 4 Richard Kraijcek as his coach. The 1996 Wimbledon champion captured 17 tour-level titles with a charge-the-net mindset. Early on in 2017, the Canadian has also done his best to continue improving his attacking style, reaching the quarter-finals of the Australian Open (l. to Nadal).

“What I feel like I needed to add to my game was not only the element of serving well and following it up with a big forehand, I felt like I needed to be able to get myself forward to take time away from them and make them always feel like I could make that step forward,” Raonic said.

The Canadian will make his debut appearance this week at the Delray Beach Open, an ATP World Tour 250 tournament. The World No. 4 will be the highest ranked player to participate in the tournament during its 25-year history. In 2003 and 2007, respectively, World No. 6 Andy Roddick and World No. 6 James Blake played at the tournament. Roddick fell in his opener to countryman Mardy Fish; Blake lost in the final to Xavier Malisse.

When Raonic was ranked much lower, at No. 361, he had hopes of playing at the 2010 Delray Beach Open. But he didn’t make the cut for the qualifying draw.

“It’s definitely nice to be able to come back. I’m very excited to play there and create a different storyline rather than it being the tournament that I didn’t get into,” Raonic said.

The Delray Beach field is packed with top players again this year. Argentine Juan Martin del Potro starts his season at the tournament for the second year in a row. Del Potro reached the semi-finals last year during the beginning of his comeback year. The right-hander skipped the ATP World Tour events Down Under and the Australian Open last month to have a longer off-season and build up his fitness.

No. 20 Ivo Karlovic, No. 21 Jack Sock and No. 29 Sam Querrey, a wild card recipient, round out the top four seeds. Del Potro, No. 36, is the seventh seed.

In many ways, last season was the best year in Raonic’s career. He finished with a career-high year-end Emirates ATP Ranking of No. 3. The Canadian reached his first Grand Slam final at Wimbledon before falling to Murray. During the semi-finals of the ATP Finals, the right-hander held a match point against World No. 1 Andy Murray. 

But Raonic feels he’s even better than he was a year ago. “I think that I’m a player that’s moved along mentally and physically quite significantly over where I was 52 weeks ago, even where I was at the end of last year. That makes me very excited,” he said. “I’ve tried to be more outward with my energy in a positive way to get out a higher level continuously throughout the match, and I think that’s what’s going to make a difference in the important moments.”

Raonic last played in the quarter-finals in Melbourne. An old adductor injury bothered him during the match but he said he’s feeling ready to play in south Florida. The 26 year old took about two weeks off from tennis to rest the injury.

“Everything’s feeling good. The doctors and the physios are very happy with the progress I’m making and now it’s really about just easing my way into it,” he said.

He will have plenty of fan support to help push him through any niggles this week. The Delray Beach tournament is a favourite among Canadians who have moved south.

“I’m well aware that there is a huge Canadian contingency down there. I know that people will come out. It’s a tournament that I’ve always wanted to play,” he said. “I’m very excited about [it] and hopefully it leads to good things for me to getting my year going and getting some good matches in.”

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