Raonic reveals vulnerabilities in “letter to future self”

Milos Raonic has opened up in a letter – sent to his future self – for The Players’ Tribune, revealing some of the doubts he possesses despite being one of the world’s best players.

Raonic, ranked No.4 and a Wimbledon finalist in 2016, says that the gap to bridge between his current ranking and world No.1 feels bigger than anything he’s ever faced before.

“You’re so close, but it feels so far — the steps are taller and the spotlight is so much brighter. And it’s making you that much more nervous,” he wrote.

“Suddenly, the road from No. 4 to No. 1 feels longer than any road you’ve ever taken. You’re struggling to learn how to relax without giving in to the fear of failure. Late last year you hired Richard Krajicek to bolster your attacking game in order to win against the players ranked higher than you.

“All these years from now, I hope you haven’t forgotten how much you embraced the climb — from being unranked, to cracking the Top 50, to now.”

Back in his unranked days, when Raonic was a teenager growing up in Canada and developing his game, his goal was not to be the best in the world.

As he writes for The Players’ Tribune, being told back then he would be ranked inside the top 50 one day would have been satisfying enough.

“But then you found out, around 16 or 17, that tennis was something you might have a chance to become pretty damn good at. Good enough to go pro, in fact,” he wrote.

“And when you were picturing it … picturing going pro, as a teenager … picturing what a dream career would be … picturing the kind of career that would be worth giving up on UVA for … well, you pictured the highest ranking you could ever imagine.”

Raonic remembers with clarity Andre Agassi conducting an interview as he came off court following a victory in the late 1980s.

“I can’t stand mediocrity,” Agassi answered when the reporter asked him how it felt to be ranked world No.3.

This resonated with the Canadian. But unlike Agassi, he said he recognised the importance of enjoying the journey and being satisfied with his career, however it eventually unfolded.

“I’ll admit — it pains me to think about how I might feel if I don’t accomplish my goal,” he wrote.

“Right now, you are No. 4. I wonder how, in your old age, that makes you feel. I wonder what’s going to happen in the future. I wonder if I’ll climb the last three steps to No. 1. There’s a lot I can’t control. I guess that’s why I’m so meticulous about the things I can — my work ethic, my persistence, my energy.

“I don’t know what is going to happen next. I just hope that when you read this, you can tell yourself, “I took every step that I thought was right, in the moment.” If you can say that, you’ll be content, Milos.

“If you did that — all respect to Andre — your life will have been far more than mediocre.”

Read Raonic’s full letter at The Players’ Tribune.