NEW YORK | We would have understood Milos Raonic if he had dropped a big “oh no” (or even something more vulgar…) when he learned that for a second tournament in a row, his opponent in the first round would be a player ranked among top 10 in the world. But the Canadian is not of this mould.
In fact, Raonic doesn’t fit the typical athlete mold. That, we understand once again when he explains at length why he doesn’t care much about facing the seventh seed, Stefanos Tsitsipas, in his first match at the US Open, a tournament where the 32-year-old Ontarian no longer has set foot for three years.
Photo Getty Images via AFP
And no, it’s not because the 6’5″ giant has two career wins over the Greek, both coming in 2020. A lot of water has flowed under New York’s bridges since then.
The answer is much more thoughtful than that, like all the answers the philosopher Raonic served up during his 10-minute meeting with the media on Saturday morning.
“Of course it’s hard [comme tirage]but in a way, since I’m not one of the seeds, if I want to win a game or two here, I will have no choice but to face one of the favorites in one of these meetings. , recalled the veteran, who fell to 339th in the world after being absent from the circuit for almost two years.
“And I think it’s best to face them before they’ve had time to find their feet in the tournament. […] If I play well, I will take the place of a seed, basically, he also analyzed. But that is projecting myself too far…”
No “big talk” yet
Project yourself too far. This is what Raonic has refused to do since his return to competition last June.
Whether it’s when it comes to his performances in one of the three tournaments he has played to date (he reached the second round, at ‘s-Hertogenbosch and Wimbledon, then the third in Toronto) or following his career.
Already, before playing his first match at the All England Club, the former world number three, who was once the seed to beat early in the Grand Slam, said he was definitely coming back to play in London, Toronto and New York. And then he should have “a great conversation with himself about his future”.
His speech had not changed on Saturday, two days before his clash against Tsitsipas, which will be played around 7 p.m. on the Louis-Armstrong, the second most important ground in the Big Apple, with its some 14,000 seats and its retractable roof. .
Even if, in front of family and friends in Toronto, he managed to defeat the 10th in the world, the American Frances Tiafoe, in this other difficult draw of which he was the victim.
Milos Raonic congratulates Frances Tiafoe after beating him in the first round in Toronto in early August. Photo Getty Images via AFP
Even if, for the moment, the body is holding up quite well, despite various injuries which have bothered him since his return (as throughout his career), including one in the shoulder which forced him to the stalemate at the Cincinnati Masters last week.
Raonic also says to show up in New York in good shape. On Saturday, he was delighted with the heat that finally reigned over New York, after a few gray, rainy or cool days. After all, he now lives in the Bahamas.
“I haven’t taken the time to think about it yet,” said the Canadian. […] I’m still taking things one tournament at a time. I’m keeping my goals short-term for now and haven’t had a chance to have that philosophical conversation with myself yet.”
2023-08-26 19:10:54
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