Raonic parts ways with coach Moya after excellent year

REUTERS - Canada's world number three Milos Raonic has parted ways with coach Carlos Moya after the Spaniard guided the big-serving right-hander through his best season on the circuit.

The 1998 French Open winner joined Raonic's coaching team in January and helped the 25-year-old reach his first grand slam final at Wimbledon and finish the campaign at a career-high ranking, rising 11 places since the end of 2015.

Raonic, who also amassed a personal best 52 victories in a season and won his eighth ATP World Tour title at Brisbane in January, acknowledged Moya for helping to maximise his potential and said they would remain "close friends".

"Thank you to Carlos Moya for helping me tremendously this year, alongside my team, to get the best out of me," Raonic said on Instagram.

"Under Carlos's direction and tutelage, I have played my best yet to date. We will no longer be continuing our coaching relationship but remain close friends. I wish him all the best."

Raonic, who also sought the services of seven-times major winner John McEnroe ahead of the grasscourt season in May, continues to be coached on a full-time basis by Italian Riccardo Piatti.

He had also worked with Croatian Ivan Ljubcic for more than two years before joining up with Moya.

(Reporting by Debanjan Bose in Bengaluru; Editing by John O'Brien)