Raonic ready to write new story in Delray Beach

Milos Raonic admittingly hasn't played much since losing in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open last month, but he's ready to add a new chapter to his career in an unexpected environment, Delray Beach.

"I remember [in 2010] when I came to Delray ranked No. 300 or so in the world," Raonic said in a conference call last week. "I didn't make the cut. I didn't get into the qualies. I wasn't ranked high enough at that point.

"I'm very excited to play there and sort of create a different story line rather than it being the tournament I didn't get into."

It's guaranteed to be an entirely different story this time around. The world No. 4 is the highest ranked player to ever compete in the ATP 250 event's 25-year history (previously that honor fell to a No. 6-ranked James Blake in 2007).

Raonic will be competing for the first time since an adductor injury set him back during a straight-set quarterfinal loss to Rafael Nadal in Melbourne.

"I've been rehabbing excessively as much as I could obviously with the injury," Raonic said. "Rest was what was mostly recommended."

Though Delray will be a nice setting for Raonic to get his legs underneath him for the long season ahead, he's got bigger things on his mind for 2017.

"My goal for this year is to be able to give myself a much better opportunity than I did last year to win my first Slam," he said.

The 25-year-old became the first-ever Canadian male to reach a major final at Wimbledon last year (where he lost to Andy Murray). But he was far from satisfied with the feat. In fact, he was disappointed.

"It hurts and you want to find a reason and a way to make that feeling subside," Raonic said. "The only way I know how is by winning. So it makes me very eager always be working on something to give myself that opportunity to get closer than I've been and, hopefully, make it count."