Will Milos Raonic win a slam or ever be world #1?

[Carlg]

Hi All! I just discovered this forum yesterday and I am super pleased to finally find a place to talk tennis! Being from a small town in Alberta, Canada it can be hard to find tennis conversation!

Anyways, I've been following Milos' career from the beginning and I've been wondering what heights he could reach. Before his injury last year he got up to world #4 but yet with some clear gaps to his game that made me doubt he could ever rise further. However, this year I have seen much change to his game. His aggressiveness coming to the net has been huge but he also seems to have finally added a decent backhand to his game(which was the most glaring weakness of his in my opinion.

What is interesting to me as well, is that he is only 25. In a year or two Nole and Murray will be getting to the age where decline starts to happen while Milos should be in his prime. By how things look now, Roger and Rafa will continue their decline. That will be a window where guys like Kei, Milos, Theim will have their chance to shine before the next generation establishes themselves.

From my point of view, Milos has the best game out of these three guys, and if he can stay healthy he has a good chance to win majors and be #1 once Nole drops off.

I think Milos finds a way to stay healthy and eventually grabs #1 spot in a couple years and I think he also ends up winning a major or two.

What are all your thoughts? Do you think some up and comers will rise up before Nole declines? If not Milos, who else will win majors in 2-3 years as Nole and Murray decline?

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Welcome to you. Milos could definitely use some fans. :snicker

Milos is definitely improving, but I don't think he will ever be #1. His movement is too weak for that.
By the time Novak leaves the game, if not earlier, I am sure there will be players of Nextgen who are ahead of Milos.

 

[El Dude]

Welcome, Carlg.

#1? Highly doubtful, unless for just a few weeks in a weak era like the late 90s. Maybe if he continues to improve a bit and is still in his prime in 2-3 years when Novak is falling away.

A Slam? That seems more possible. Milos--along with Kei--is exactly the type of player that can slip in a Slam win in his late 20s/30ish, if the competition is weaker. A lot of "one Slam wonders" win theirs later in their career, and it really comes down to being in the right place at the right time, and playing the tournament of your life (e.g. Marin Cilic).

 

[Front242]

Cilic had some help from his mum too remember.

 

[Carlg]

I think we've been spoiled for over a decade here watching 3 of the greatest of all time play the game. But I remember that gap between Sampras/Agassi and Federer very well! Before Fed, Roddick was touted as the next big thing, and I think Raonic is easily at that talent level. Looking at the other #1s of that era and I think Raonic compares well!

There are always promising guys on the horizon, but none that scream future superstar like we saw with Nole when he was starting to challenge(and how many years did it take him to finally break through?). One way or another we are coming to the end of an era, and because I don't see the next big thing out there yet, I think there's a decent chance we have a down period where the "best of the next" will have their time to shine.

Kind of a sad thought to think of an era ending but it's an inevitability. Outside of the Big 3, how do you see Raonic compared to pass #1s?(Kuerten, Safin, Roddick, etc.).

Also, considering the decline of Roger and Rafa, doesn't Milos seem a lock to be a top 4 seed sooner than later? We've already seen him compete with guys like Murray, Berdych, Wawarinka, etc. The only guy he can't challenge is Nole(possible the GOAT eventually). And when that time comes all of a sudden he will be in a lot better situations to win.

Seriously, after Nole and Murray, who would you point to as the next best tennis player to succeed them? If it's just a hypothetical nextgen player that means the opportunity is definitely there if the next 4 years are anything like the last in terms of talent coming up.

Anyways, just my thoughts on what things might look like after this epic generation of the big 3 +1 passes along. And in that future I see a #1 Raonic as a very real possibility.

As an aside, how depressing will it be to see Raonic vs. Nikishori battles in finals as a poor mans reliving of Sampras vs. Agassi (depressing for you all, but magical for me as a Raonic fan)

 

[kskate2]

Welcome to the Frontier Carlg! I believe Milos will win a slam or 2. Probably Wimby or USO would be his best chances. #1 is a little trickier, but it could happen for a few weeks depending on the timing of his slam win. I don't think he will be a mainstay at the #1 spot though. As for who can rise up before or after Novak's reign, there's a small list of capable contenders who are still a couple of years away: Kei, Thiem, Zverev, Nick. On a lower level and w/ the right circumstances (favorable draw) I could see Goffin, Pouille, or Fritz maybe sneaking a slam in a few years.

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

Hey Carlg , welcome! We need more Canucks here man.
After Milos wins Wimbledon this year, we will talk more in detail about his prospects ..

 

[Carlg]

Thanks for the welcome all! Yeah, there is some young talent coming up that has a chance to do something. We will have to wait and see!

1972Murat: haha, we both wish! If Nole gets injured then maybe But I think Aliassime winning the Junior Wimby is more likely (Yes I am that guy who is already tracking Shapo and Aliassime)

 

[El Dude]

herios is also Canadian, and both he and I are tracking Aliassime and Shapovalov.

As for your question about who is next, I suspect Novak will remain pretty uncontested as the #1 player through 2017, but then starting in 2018 he'll be swapping #1 back and forth several other players, similar to how Sampras did in 1999. Milos, Kei, Thiem, Kyrgios, and maybe Zverev will be in the mix at that point.

So from 2018-20 or so we might see a wide open field. By 2020 or 2021, I think we'll see the next elite players more settled in: Thiem, Kyrgios, Zverev, Fritz, with a supporting cast including some of Rublev, Coric, Tiafoe, Lee, etc, with Aliassime and Shapovalov possibly coming up.

 

[isabelle]

I don't think Milos can be N°1 or win a GS, sorry mate

 

[herios]

Hi Carlg
Welcome on board. As it was mentioned to you, we are just a few Canadians here, who of course will be behind Milos, but as you can see, my main guy is seen in my avatar, and also murat who greeted you yesterday is a big Roger fan. That does not mean we are not following Milos and how he progresses through his career.
I am certain Milos can still improve, as he did it up to now, and he will need that in order to become a slam champion. I think that is possible, but he is not there yet.
He is now playing as well as ever, but there are still things he has to improve. BH came a long way recently, but there is still another aspect of his which was very weak and that is ROS. This is key, if he wants to win Wimbledon. He has been improving it, surely, but still needs work, as far as placement and anticipation, beside the first shot.
Volleying also needs to get better, I am talking the pick up volley, of balls which stay very low.

 

[nehmeth]

Welcome to the board Carig. I am one of the non-fans of the wide-nostriled Montenegrin/Canadian.

If he can win against a Lendl coached Murray in the Queens final, his stock goes way up in my book. He's a hard worker and has improved exponentially since arriving on tour. I'm just not a fan of slow moving, big serving giants.

Heh, a final between the two of my least liked players. :cover

 

[Front242]

Classic mongo impressions. They both look very clever :snicker

 

[rafanoy1992]

In my opinion, I think he can win a slam or two. The one thing I like about Milos is that he is a consummate professional on and off the court. Even though he is not as talented as some tennis players, he continues and tries to improve as a tennis player. And as a sports fan, I give him a lot of respect because not all tennis players have his mentality.

 

[10isfan]

Welcome!

I think he will win a Wimby title or two because of his serve and mentality. I would be shocked if he ever got to number one. He is not athletic enough to accomplish that feat. I do admire his effort to keep getting better.

 

[Fiero425]

Welcome!

I think he will win a Wimby title or two because of his serve and mentality. I would be shocked if he ever got to number one. He is not athletic enough to accomplish that feat. I do admire his effort to keep getting better.

Maybe someday, but the problem is, today's new generation isn't getting any assistance from other players by upsetting an elite contestant! It doesn't happen enough due to excellence of the "Big 4" over the years and the additions of 16 more seeds to make 32 in draw totalities! Way back when, #17 could wind up in the draw playing the #1 seed! Happened at USO; McEnroe had to battle #17 Paul Annacone and lost! Too often the top 3 or 4 seeds play each major semi so almost impossible to have an odd winner like Cilic a couple seasons ago at the USO! I rant about it not happening much at all; shows true weakness in the tour to allow consecutive runs to QF and Semi's by the top few players again and again! :cover :nono