Milos Raonic sounded confident before his match on Thursday against Dominic Thiem. He said the faster court and indoor conditions at The O2 Arena favored him, and that he felt sure he would be able to take time away from Thiem and play the match “on my terms.”
This, of course, is how Raonic always sounds, and what he (almost) always says. Few players are as good at projecting an air of assurance, even inevitability, about their careers. To hear Raonic tell it, every match, whether he wins it or loses it, is just another step in his climb up the ATP ladder.
Raonic seems to understand that confidence and success are, in part, self-fulfilling prophecies; walk and talk with certainty, and you’ll become more certain of yourself. You have to give him credit, despite many tough losses and physical setbacks over the years. He has stayed on message, and he has continued to ascend. Raonic, who will turn 26 next month, reached his first major final this summer, at Wimbledon, and he has a chance to finish the year ranked a career-high No. 3. Now, with his sturdy, modestly imperious 7-6 (5), 6-3 win over Thiem in London, Raonic has advanced to the semifinals at the ATP’s season-ender for the first time.