If results are the best way to judge a player-coach partnership, then the new pairing of Milos Raonic and John McEnroe must be a fantastic team. In their first event together, Raonic has raced into the final of the Aegon Championships without having his serve broken. On top of this evidence, Raonic himself spoke to ESPN UK about his relationship with McEnroe and revealed that it’s not just McEnroe’s teaching skills that make them a good pair.

Fun Beyond the Court

When asked about his relationship with McEnroe, Raonic said, ''it's fun, it's really nice. He's probably the most energetic 57-year-old I know.'' The Canadian, who cruised into the final of the Queen’s Club, explained that "we laugh. We share a lot in common off court. He loves art, as well, and he has a lot more experience in it than I do. We discuss that quite a bit. It's been a pleasure working with him. He's definitely enticed me on and off the court.''

McEnroe (left) gives direction during a practice at the Queen's Club. Photo: Joel Ford/Getty Images
McEnroe (left) gives direction during a practice at the Queen's Club. Photo: Joel Ford/Getty Images

Raonic hired McEnroe as a grass court consultant during the French Open, but the American legend showed immediate enthusiasm for the partnership, joining Raonic for practices in Paris and sitting in his box during his fourth round loss to Albert Ramos-Vinolas.

Positive Effect

McEnroe’s tutelage has had an immediate effect on the Canadian’s play. Raonic, who has tended to struggle on grass despite his style being designed for it, has played some of the best tennis of his career on the grass this week in London, showing a real aptitude for the surface that he has lacked in the past.

His serve is as strong as ever, but Raonic has been backing it up with powerful baseline play and great efficiency at the net. It could be a coincidence, but this appears to be an effect of McEnroe, a three-time major champion on grass, imparting his knowledge of the surface to the Canadian. While having a legend like McEnroe in your corner can definitely help, the positive relationship between the two makes them an even stronger team. 

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About the author
Pete Borkowski
Tennis has always been my obsession. What better way to channel that obsession than writing about it? After 18 months of blogging with Sportsblog.com as the writer of A Fan Obsesseds blog, all the while completing my Bachelors in history and French, I joined VAVEL so that I can better share my love and knowledge of tennis with the world.