PARIS, November 5, 2016
Andy Murray will be Monday’s new number one in the Emirates ATP Rankings by reaching the final of the BNP Parisbas Masters in Paris. The 29-year-old Scot benefited from the withdrawal of his semi-final opponent Milos Raonic on Saturday. At 03:15 pm, the 25-year-old Canadian entered the press room in order to announce that he is not able to compete.
“Yesterday, at I believe 4-2 in the first set, I started feeling some pain in my leg,” Raonic explained. “I didn’t think too much of it at that point. This morning I had trouble waking up and getting out of bed. So I went to sort of clear any serious diagnosis. I did an MRI half an hour ago and they found that I have a tear, Grad 1 tear in the right quad. Unfortunately, I am not able to compete against Andy today.”
Raonic struggled in the past with injuries. “They are all frustrating. I guess it’s also a little numbing because I get a little more used to it but there is some light in that. I still have a possibility that I might be able to play more this year, obviously in one of the biggest stages, important moments in tournaments, for us as tennis players.”
The world number five has qualified for the ATP World Tour Finals in London and still has some hope being able to compete at the season finale in eight days. It clearly depends on the recovery and treatment.
“I have to see what the possiblities are for this kind of injury. It’s not necessarily most clear, because the muscle that is damaged is very close to the bone. So any kind of external rehab is ineffective. So, I have to see with the situation I have, what is possible and try to make it as possible as possible.”
In the worst-case scenario, Raonic will have to end the season in Paris. “It’s been my best year so far. It think sometimes I get a little bit too hard on myself and I do not appreciate the good moments enough. but I think that’s the lif of a tennis player. We get so wraped up in what’s next.
But at the moment right now, it’s really about trying to give myself a chance. Right now there are a few guys that are realistically fighting for a chance to finish thrid. If I can have a chance to play, that’s where my attention and my goal go towards.”
