Milos Raonic turned pro back in 2008 and has become the most successful Canadian singles player in history over the course of his career. His career-highest ranking was No. 3 in the world and currently ranks No. 4, trailing only Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka.
On Wednesday, The Players’ Tribune released a letter that Raonic wrote to his future self, where he talks about being at a crossroads in his career right now and the thoughts he has weighing on his mind on a daily basis.
In his letter, Raonic talks about a specific interview with Andre Agassi that he can relate to at this current moment in his career. The interview came following a victory and Agassi stated that he couldn’t stand mediocrity when asked how it felt to be ranked No. 3 in the world. Here’s part of Raonic’s letter to his future self from The Players’ Tribune.
The craziest part is that, at this point in my life, I can totally relate to what he was going through.
As I write this, I’m 26 years old, and I’m the No. 4 player in the ATP singles rankings. Sounds pretty good, right?
Imagine if I’d told you — back when you were 16 years old and working with a ball machine at a public tennis club in Ontario — that someday you were going to be ranked fourth. You’d have been over the moon. No. 4 — in the world?
More than 10 years ago, I was a kid who got up early before school to train at a club in Richmond Hill. I had signed a letter to attend Virginia on a tennis scholarship. I’d packed up my stuff and was all set to go.
But then … I didn’t. Do you remember why?
I wanted to be a Top 50 ATP player.
Raonic talks about how despite not having the “From the day I was born, my goal was to be the best in the world” mentality, he was still extremely ambitious and bold enough to bet on himself going pro, and it’s a good thing he did.
However, despite turning pro and achieving what he set out to do, being ranked a Top 50 ATP player, Raonic now has a different mentality and approach 10 years later.
Top 50. That, to you, as 16-year-old Milos, would have been a satisfying life.
And now you’re 26 — and you’re No. 4 in the world.
Which begs the question, I guess: Milos … who are you? Are you an amazing success story, who flew past all of his wildest boyhood dreams by the time you were 21? Or are you what Andre Agassi described himself as, back when he was one place higher in the rankings than you are today? Are you mediocre?
The short answer, of course, is that it’s all a matter of perspective — perspective which hopefully you will gain more and more of, with each passing year.
The long answer … hang on, Milos: Are you too old to remember what FOMO is? You know, the “fear of missing out”?
Raonic admits that living in a society obsessed with FOMO has made it tougher to live out his dream, because as much as he wants to be with his friends in their Instagram posts, he’s accomplishing what he set out to do and doesn’t want to quit now if there are still better days ahead.
I am at a crossroads in my career, having fulfilled my original goals in tennis, while remaining short of the accomplishments of my idols … and I find myself learning to process versions of FOMO in two separate directions.
Sometimes I wonder if, by focusing on my goal, am I letting the world pass me by? Or is achieving my goal, through sheer persistence and drive, worth the sacrifices I have to make?
My biggest phobia at this point in my life is the possibility that someday I’ll look back and feel like I didn’t realize my full potential as a player. That I didn’t get to No. 1. That I didn’t win the multiple Slams.
That I missed out.
It seems like Raonic isn’t even certain of his tennis future at the moment, but he still has some thinking to do and knows that only time will tell now.
I’ll admit — it pains me to think about how I might feel if I don’t accomplish my goal. But my tennis career is what gave me the means to follow my deepest curiosities without fear of failure or financial ruin. It’s a blessing.
Right now, you are No. 4. I wonder how, in your old age, that makes you feel. I wonder what’s going to happen in the future. I wonder if I’ll climb the last three steps to No. 1. There’s a lot I can’t control. I guess that’s why I’m so meticulous about the things I can — my work ethic, my persistence, my energy.
I don’t know what is going to happen next. I just hope that when you read this, you can tell yourself, “I took every step that I thought was right, in the moment.”
Only time will tell what the future has in store for Raonic, but it all comes down to doing whatever makes him happiest at this point. You can read his entire letter to his future self on The Players’ Tribune.
(H/T The Players’ Tribune)
