Is John McEnroe the X-Factor Milos Raonic Needs at Wimbledon 2016?
Superstar coaches are all the rage in men’s tennis.
Noteworthy pairings between current and past greats in recent years include Novak Djokovic and Boris Becker, Roger Federer and Stefan Edberg, and Andy Murray and Ivan Lendl, who are now together again for round two.
Add another name to the party: John McEnroe.
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The 57-year-old legend struck a deal to advise aspiring contender Milos Raonic through the grass-court season. They’ll work together at Queen’s Club and Wimbledon, with McEnroe pulling double duty between his commentary duties and the coaching box.
He joins a packed team that already includes Riccardo Piatti and former No. 1 Carlos Moya. Three voices, one role: to help Raonic achieve his dream of winning a major.
Considered a player on the precipice of greatness, Raonic, 25, is searching for that extra push. As he watches Djokovic, Murray and Federer battle for the top prizes, Raonic is stuck in the next tier of challengers. Breaking through that glass ceiling is something he's yet to do.
At 6'6", the muscular Raonic is an imposing presence on the court. His powerful serve, undeniably his most lethal weapon and one of the best in the game, is what's carried him this far. Unlike other big servers his size, Raonic moves well side-to-side and is strong off both wings, especially the forehand.
Improving his agility has been a primary focus the last few seasons.
But for all that talent, he's been unable to translate it into either a major or even Masters Series title. In big matches, he can get rattled when facing the upper echelon of players.
Having McEnroe in his corner, even for a brief period of time, could spark him to take that next step.
In an interview with the New York Times' Christopher Clarey, McEnroe expressed belief that Raonic indeed has the attributes to become a Grand Slam champion:
"It doesn’t seem like he’s been able to do as well as certainly someone with his game could do, and I think he could win it. Hopefully I can add that little bit and give him a little bit better understanding of how to take advantage of his attributes, his size. He’s a big strong, great, dedicated and smart kid.
"
McEnroe knows better than anyone what it takes to win at the All England Club. Between singles and doubles action, he has a combined eight Wimbledon crowns in his trophy case. Not even Federer or Pete Sampras can say the same.
So if he wanted a grass-court master to school him in the finer nuances of the surface, Raonic made a wise selection. While it's not realistic to expect his game to change much in a few weeks, there are still things he can implement.
No doubt McEnroe will emphasize a full-fledged offensive strategy.
Raonic is going to rain aces—not even the Centre Court roof can prevent that from happening. What he can do to make his service games even more deadly would be to come in behind them.
Serving-and-volleying, although something of a lost art these days, still works well on grass. Just ask McEnroe. His modus operandi was following up his tough-to-decipher lefty serves with well-timed approaches to the net. McEnroe kept opponents on their heels by exerting constant pressure.
"The sun's out & #Raonic's new coach John McEnroe promptly gets his guns out. pic.twitter.com/gOkPXavdql
— Live Tennis (@livetennis) June 15, 2016"
Ironically, McEnroe mentioned Raonic's name specifically during an interview with the Guardian's Kevin Mitchell on this topic in 2012.
"Serve-and-volley is not impossible. The right person would dominate on a fast court. If [Milos] Raonic becomes even more like a Sampras … if you saw him go big on his forehand against Federer in the Davis Cup—and return better—the guy is so dangerous."
And that was four years ago. Raonic's skills have grown exponentially since then. Now, McEnroe wants to show him how to take advantage of them.
Should he reach the second week and face higher-caliber returners, Raonic can't rely on serves to bail him out. Even if he makes a concerted effort to volley more, the key is how he holds up from the baseline.
At the start of this year, Raonic prevailed over Federer for the Brisbane title and came within one set of reaching the Australian Open final. He was crushing groundstrokes and dictating points with the pace of his forehand. He's never played better than he did during that stretch.
Getting back to that first-strike mentality will take him a long way.
From an intangible side, McEnroe should work to stoke the fire within Raonic. To beat Djokovic or Murray in a best-of-five-sets match, he has to be mentally resolute and believe that he can get the job done.
If you need someone to pump you up, an exuberant personality like McEnroe is exactly what the doctor ordered.
Two years ago, Raonic landed in the Wimbledon semifinals—to date his only trip past the third round there. The presence of McEnroe just might be the factor he needs to get back there—and possibly beyond.
All statistics are courtesy of ATPWorldTour.com unless otherwise noted.
Joe Kennard is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report.
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