Milos Raonic suggests some tennis fans may be making the same mistake with Novak Djokovic as they did with Rafael Nadal
Raonic has beaten Nadal twice before, but has lost all 12 matches that he has played against Djokovic.
However, they have not played one another in over four years, with both players now in the latter stages of their respective careers.
Although he is still a top 10 player, Djokovic has suffered some early exits from recent tournaments that have sparked concern for his future.
Milos Raonic gives his verdict on Novak Djokovic’s recent form
Djokovic lost to Matteo Arnaldi in his opening match at the Madrid Open, which is the fourth time in his last five tournaments that this has happened.
The Serbian is still without a win on clay this year, with Djokovic’s Roland Garros chances appearing slimmer than usual.
When speaking to the Tennis Channel about the 24-time Grand Slam champion, Raonic has predicted Djokovic to bounce back, comparing it to when people doubted Nadal in previous years.
However, the Canadian did admit that it may be harder for Djokovic to return to form due to his age, something that Raonic has experienced himself.
“From outside, because he has gone through these fluctuations before, he had it after he won his first Roland Garros,” said Raonic. “Then the other time he had it after he just missed winning the Grand Slam in the same year.
“It takes a lot out of you, I think the most interesting thing with him is everytime that people have kind of written him off he has come back and it has been the same story for the big three.
“How many times did people say that Rafa won’t be able to play that long with his injuries and all these kind of things? They love proving people wrong and that’s what makes them exceptional.
“I think for me the most interesting thing is, before it seemed like such a obvious formula that Novak had figured out how to get back quickly every time, and I think the biggest thing is that once you get older you just don’t respond as quickly.
“So I think the big thing for him now is like more than ever he’s just needed matches right, so he’s showing up to more tournaments. It’s not that he knows that he shows up to a tournament, he’s going to play at least three or four matches, so it has been harder for him to time those moments around the big events. Whereas before it kind of felt unfair, because he would just show up.
“I mean look at last year, just have a year that was disappointing by his standards, but then to get everything out on probably a moment at the Olympics that could be very defining for his career and his whole body of work. He’s so much better than anybody else at that, and I think he’s just trying to figure out ‘How do I do get to that again?’.
“I mean he will figure it out, he is the one that has pushed tennis in this generation more than anybody else. [Ivan] Lendl changed it with the fitness I always say, and then Novak’s changed it with all the things that you’ve had to do, because you know he does them.
“Watching the food, watching the way you recover, all the different things you are willing to do, he has pushed that limit more than anybody else and the whole game has followed and adapted to it because of him.”
Will Milos Raonic return to the ATP Tour?
While most of the headlines surround Djokovic at the moment, there are also questions over Raonic’s future.
The big serving Raonic has not competed since the Paris Olympic Games, but has now revealed that he is training ahead of the grass court season.
