McEnroe: Raonic Can Win Wimbledon This Year

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McEnroe: Raonic Can Win Wimbledon This Year

John McEnroe launches his role as coaching consultant to Milos Raonic at Queen's Club this week.

The Hall of Famer says even before he joined Raonic's team, he was convinced the ninth-ranked Canadian was one of a handful of men who can win Wimbledon this year.

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"If you had called me two months ago and said: ‘Name six or seven guys that can Wimbledon’ — and I think that’s how many can win Wimbledon — I would put him as one of those guys who could win it," McEnroe told The Daily Mail. "Obviously at the moment he’s the sixth or seventh likely guy to do it. But things can happen and you never know. Hopefully I’ll make a positive difference."

A 2014 Wimbledon semifinalist, Raonic is scheduled to open his grass-court season at Queen's Club against nemesis Nick Kyrgios today. This is the third straight year the power players meet on British lawn.

Raonic defeated Kyrgios in the 2014 Wimbledon quarterfinals. Kyrgios returned the favor at the 2015 Championships and has won their last three meetings, including straight-sets victories in Miami and Rome earlier this year, to take a 3-2 lead in their head-to-head series.

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, who completed the career Grand Slam at Roland Garros, is playing for his fourth Wimbledon crown and his fifth straight Grand Slam title.

Djokovic's dominance makes a Raonic Grand Slam breakthrough a demanding challenge. Djokovic is 7-0 lifetime vs. the explosive Canadian, including winning 6-2, 6-0 thrashing in the Indian Wells final in March.

"It’s definitely not an easy thing," McEnroe told The Daily Mail. "You can’t be careful, you’ve got to be honest. I think he knows that, he’s a smart kid and he works hard, but we all play dumb points."

Raonic, who got up early to take a guided tour of the Houses of Parliament, says McEnroe's experience and success on grass can be a valuable asset.

"I believe he made seven finals in a row winning four of them at the Queen's Club," Raonic says in the video above. "So it's nice to have him back and it's nice to have him share his knowledge, experience and his insights with me and try to help me improve so I can achieve my goals at this tournament and looking forward."

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