Motivated to do more, Raonic finishes season a career-high No. 3

Milos Raonic says he has taken a big step this season, finishing at a career-high No. 3 in the rankings.

He secured the No. 3 ranking in London this past week. By winning two round-robin matches to reach the semifinals of the ATP World Tour Finals, he finished in front of both Stan Wawrinka and Kei Nishikori. Raonic took world No. 2 Novak Djokovic to two tiebreakers in the group stage, and lost in a third-set tiebreaker to world No. 1 Andy Murray in the semis. That match, which lasted three hours and 38 minutes, was the longest in ATP Finals history.

"I have to be proud that I finished the year with giving it every ounce of energy I had," he said of the meeting with Murray, noting that his losses to the world’s top two players were indications of the improvement he made this season. "I think, in both matches, I had more break-point opportunities. They maximized better on those opportunities. They've been here many more times than I have.

"They've been in those situations many more times than I have. But I have to be very proud that I gave myself opportunities, great opportunities, against both of them for the first time this year."

The 25-year-old Canadian also reached his first Grand Slam final at Wimbledon this past summer, and took Murray to five sets in the semifinals of the Australian Open. But he also experienced repeated injuries and cited nerves in his second-round exit at the U.S. Open. His goal for next season is to avoid some of those injury interruptions.

"Most moments I can start playing well, but rather than making momentum and progress, I can sometimes take myself two steps back," he said. "I sort of have to reset myself, whether that be through injuries or other issues."