Milos Raonic will be working with former world number one and French Open champion Carlos Moya during the Australian Open. Raonic has spent the offseason without a mentor after his coach of two years Ivan Ljubicic left him to coach Roger Federer. Raonic made the announcement on his Instagram after his victory over Stan Wawrinka earlier today in Abu Dhabi.
In the announcement, Raonic said that Moya “will be joining the team in Melbourne. As a great champion, competitor and person I think he will be a great mentor/coach to me in achieving my dreams and complementing/joining the team.”
Moya’s Credentials
Moya is a fifteen-year veteran of the ATP World Tour, retiring back in 2010. The Spaniard hit his stride in 1997, tearing through a difficult draw to reach the Australian Open final. His Grand Slam breakthrough would come a year later when he won the French Open. He reached number one in the world in March 1999.
While Moya has no official coaching experience at the professional level, he served as Spain’s Davis Cup captain in 2014. Also, during his playing days, Moya acted as a mentor to many of the younger Spanish tennis players, most notably his fellow Mallorcan Rafael Nadal.
A Fresh Take
Like Ljubicic, Moya brings a wealth of experience to the position and will make him a valuable mentor for Raonic. However, Moya has more experience at the top of the tennis world, having won a Grand Slam and been ranked number one in the world. This would appeal to Raonic who is looking to take the next step in his development.
Ljubicic was a logical choice for Raonic to help the Canadian develop his big hitting game. Moya will bring a new dimension to Raonic’s game, particularly helping the big-serving Canadian fix some of his weaknesses, most notably his movement and return of serve. Raonic has already practically perfected his power-game, but still struggles against opponents who can stretch out rallies and defend well. His desire to fix those weaknesses are probably a big reason why Raonic hired Moya.
As of now, Moya will only be working in Raonic at the Australian Open. No long term plans have been announced. Despite losing Ljubicic over the off-season, Raonic continued working with advisor Ricardo Piatti, who remains a key member of Raonic’s team.