The best is yet to come for Klaasen
Raven feels Wimbledon presents best chance to win maiden grand slam
● Raven Klaasen believes his best tennis is yet to bounce off his racquet.
Klaasen, 35, who reached a second grand slam doubles final last weekend at Wimbledon, is in no doubt further improvement is still well within his grasp.
“I firmly believe so,” he said when asked if he thought his best tennis is still ahead of him.
Klaasen admits he is a late bloomer and he believes the trajectory on which his career is set will allow him to make some positive adjustments.
“The path my career has taken is an unlikely one. I think if you were to ask me what the perfect recipe was it certainly was not the way I went about things.
“If I had the opportunities I had in my 30s, in my early 20s, I would have been a better tennis player earlier in my career. Unfortunately the way things went in the accumulation of my skill set and the development of my mind and body, it’s at its peak now.
“I think I can push this for a few more years because I’m pretty diligent about looking after myself to make sure I can extend my career as long as possible.”
He may have turned professional as far back as 2002, but Klaasen’s gaze is firmly on the future.
Experience has helped him put into sharp focus what is required for longevity in a discipline like tennis that over the years has rewarded its more grizzled combatants.
“Being 35 for me doesn’t feel that old. I kind of know I must do the things I need, especially with the body. The mind feels pretty fresh. I need to make sure the body can take the knocks. That is the No 1 thing.”
Last week’s surge to the Wimbledon doubles final with partner Michael Venus promised much but in the end they had to yield to the American pair of Jack Sock and Mike Bryan, who is 40 years old.
They came tantalisingly close but bowed out 7-5 in the deciding set.
“I’ve had the experience before so I suppose that makes it easier,” Klaasen said about losing in another grand slam final. He lost in the 2014 Australian Open doubles final with partner Eric Butorac.
“In time to come it might sting, however, as you think about how things might have worked out differently.
“There’s not much we could have done differently. We were up break point in the final set. Maybe we could have been luckier.”
Klaasen is philosophical about the defeat. There’s not much he can change to go a step further.
“In terms of improvement, I’d say after the first Australian Open final defeat in which we lost badly there would have been a lot to work on. Now, we can only try and put ourselves in that kind of position again.”
Though he prefers hardcourts Klaasen feels Wimbledon may present the best opportunity to win a maiden grand slam title.
“I will take anyone I can get. I have won at every level of tennis now except in a grand slam.” His next challenge will be the US Open which climaxes in September. First though he has to recharge his batteries and for that he returned home.
“I’m in Cape Town (Kenilworth) for a week. I pulled out of a tournament in Germany to get more time off. Given how well things went at Wimbledon it wouldn’t have been wise to play in Germany. I will join the tour in Washington for the hardcourt season.”
Life on tour is infinitely more bearable for Klaasen. His wife Celeste and son Carter rack up the miles with him. He has clarity. He knows what he needs, he knows what makes him tick.
“For me it is now about challenging myself against the best players in the world and bringing a new dimension to my game.”
I have won at every level of tennis now except in a grand slam Raven Klaasen