Of Raonic, tennis observers wonder: Whither Wimbledon?

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Milos Raonic isn't spending a lot of time thinking about last year's Wimbledon final, even though it was the closest he has come to winning a Grand Slam.

"People in sport, and in tennis, have quite a short memory. One year ago seems like a lot longer when you enter these gates this year," Roanic said Saturday as he made final preparations for the 2017 edition of Wimbledon. "I think you just get so caught up in the process of doing everything you can to be in the best shape you can be, come the first match you quickly forget."

Around this time last year, Raonic was battling Andy Murray for the Wimbledon title, losing in straight sets but completing a remarkable run during which he beat Roger Federer in the semi-final. This year, Raonic arrives in southwest London once again as the sixth seed, but on far less stable footing.

He got off to a promising start in 2017, making it to the quarter-final of the Australian Open before losing to eventual finalist Rafael Nadal. But he's struggled since and hasn't beaten a top-10 player since January. He's also slipped in the world rankings to seventh from third at the start of the year, and he could fall out of the top 10 with a poor showing at Wimbledon.

Grass is a tricky surface and Raonic hasn't had much time to prepare, having been upset in the first round of the Queen's Club tournament last month. That's a far cry from 2016 when Raonic made it to the final of Queen's before losing to Murray.

"It's been difficult," Raonic said of the 2017 season, which has been partly hampered by a hamstring injury. "It's been a lot of up and downs, a lot of also self-searching."

He's adjusted his training regimen by finding a "new balance," that involves spending less time in the gym and less time on the court. "I had to sort out my life to be more efficient on court," he said. "I haven't faced anything major or even minor for quite some time now, which is a nice load off my shoulders."

He's also brought in a new coach, doubles specialist Mark Knowles, who replaced former Wimbledon champion Richard Krajicek a couple of weeks ago. Knowles, 45, is a former No. 1-ranked doubles player and he spent years partnering with Canada's Daniel Nestor, who is seeded 13th in doubles with Fabrice Martin at Wimbledon this year.

"My goal is to help [Raonic] fulfill his potential and we know what that is, that's to be one of the best players in the world and to win a Grand Slam," Knowles said. "I have got a lot of experience, not only on court but off the court as well, and been around the professional game for a very long time, so I really feel that I can help him in that area."

Knowles acknowledged that Raonic would have preferred more matches on grass this year but he said the 26-year-old is playing well in practice. "Physically he feels strong and mentally he's also strong," Knowles said. "He's a really big strong guy, and I think it's important, especially with his style of play, to maybe temper that back a little bit. I think that he's found that maybe there's a benefit to streamlining his approach, not only on the court but especially off the court."

Raonic won't have an easy path to the final this year. He faces unseeded Jan-Lennard Struff from Germany in Round 1 on Tuesday but he'll face a rejuvenated Federer in the quarter-final if he gets that far and then, potentially, No. 2 seed Novak Djokovic in the semi-final. Federer, who is seeded third, is considered a favourite this year given injury problems for Murray and Djokovic's inconsistency.

Murray, the top seed, has been bothered by a hip injury that's curtailed his Wimbledon preparation, but on Sunday he said he's recovered. "It was giving me quite a lot of trouble moving to certain shots and getting into certain positions," he told reporters. "It's felt much better the last few days … I'll be fine to play the event and play seven matches."

The Briton spent part of his Wimbledon tune-up practising with Canadian teenager Denis Shapovalov, last year's junior champion, who won a wild-card entry into the main draw this year. "For me, it's amazing to have a chance to practise with the world's best," Shapovalov said Saturday. "It was really fun to see how my game matches up against these top guys. It's good to see what he works on, how he works."

The 18-year-old has enjoyed a mixed season, playing well on the court but drawing controversy in February when he hit the umpire in the eye after bashing the ball in frustration during a Davis Cup match in Ottawa. He apologized but was slapped with a $7,000 (U.S.) fine. He's put that behind him as he readies for a return to Wimbledon, this time as a professional instead of a junior. "I've got my own locker now," he said smiling. "I'm just happy to be here and happy to play my first major ever."

On the women's side, a pair of Canadian rising stars has also won berths in the main singles draw. Bianca Andreescu, 17, and Françoise Abanda, 20, earned their way through qualification last week and both have a decent chance of advancing beyond the first round. The same can't be said for Montreal's Eugenie Bouchard, who plays her first match on Monday against 25th seed Carla Suarez Navarro, who beat Bouchard the last time they met at Wimbledon, in 2013.

Bouchard, 23, has had an erratic season and fallen a long way from 2014 when she made the final. She's ranked 61st in the world and has been bothered by an ankle injury lately. "It's fine but it's obviously not where it should be," she said Saturday. "Just being here gives me good feelings. … I love the courts, I love the grass, I love the feeling. It's so unique in its own way."

Canada's Vasek Pospisil will also have a tough challenge on the men's side. He's up against eighth seed Dominic Thiem in the first round. Pospisil is ranked 75th in the world but he made the Wimbledon quarter-final in 2015.

For Canadian tennis fans, though, all eyes will be on Raonic to see if he can recapture the magic of last year. Raonic said he'll be drawing on that memory too, when needed. "I think it just gives you peace of mind in those difficult moments," he said. Making the final has also given him a certain assurance, he added, that "I can play well here, I can play extremely well here, and this is a great opportunity for me to take this further than I have ever before."