PARIS – Milos Raonic appeared to be on the verge of a long-awaited breakthrough. He was leading Andy Murray two sets to one in the Australian Open semifinals in January when an adductor injury derailed his chances of reaching a first major final. 

"It was very difficult to deal with that injury and setback," Raonic admits. "I feel like only now I'm playing closer to that level that I played at in Australia. It's nice. I'm picking up some momentum, staying healthy and trying to go and push through as much as I can."

After the Australian Open, Raonic returned home and participated in the NBA All-Star Game festivities (Feb. 12-14). His support team counselled him not to participate in the Celebrity Game, but Raonic, a huge basketball fan, wasn't about to let the chance pass by. After all, it was the first NBA all-star extravaganza in his hometown. 

"My team wasn't happy I played considering the injury I was dealing with," Raonic said, "but getting to play in that, I’d have to say that's probably, on any type of court, the happiest 25 minutes I got to play. That's probably the happiest 25 minutes I ever played of any sport."

Raonic punctuated the appearance with a slam dunk. "I wish it was a little bit flashier," he said with a wry grin. 

"The dunk was the highlight-worthy moment, but it didn't signify anything special to me," said Raonic, who was coached by Drake on a squad that included Arcade Fire's Win Butler and former Raptor Tracy McGrady. "I think it was being in that team atmosphere, which I haven't done once, that stood out. I never competed in any team sport of any kind. I'd play with friends and that kind of stuff, but never that sort of camaraderie, which was nice."

You can't blame Raonic for wanting to take part in the weekend festivities and relax a bit. It had been a rough stretch for him. The adductor issue was only the latest injury to slow his progress. Raonic reached his career-high of No. 4 in the ATP rankings last May just before undergoing surgery to repair a nerve issue in his foot and missed the French Open. He rushed back for Wimbledon, but wasn't 100% and lost in the third round. Back spasms flared up during the hard-court season and led to another third-round exit at the U.S. Open. 

Despite the injury issues and concerns of his support staff, the decision to play basketball certainly didn't hurt Raonic on the tennis court. He had a successful lead-up to the French Open reaching the final in Indian Wells and the quarterfinals in Miami, Monte-Carlo and Madrid. 

An early exit in Rome in his final tune-up event was, in part, due to inflammation of the left wrist. Raonic said the injury almost led him to retire before his second-round match against Nick Kyrgios, which he went on to lose in straight sets. But after a few days of rest and recovery, Raonic said the wrist is no longer an issue and he's feeling no discomfort during practice sessions at Roland Garros. 

Raonic has never advanced past the quarterfinals at the French Open, but seems to have a favourable draw. He will open his campaign on Sunday against Janko Tipsarevic, who has suffered through an injury-plagued couple of years tumbling down the rankings. He's currently No. 686 and playing here thanks to an injury-protected ranking. Raonic is 4-0 against the Serb with the last meeting in 2013 (Davis Cup).

Once ranked eighth in the world back in 2012, Tipsarevic has played just one ATP Tour top-level event this season losing in the first round earlier this week in Geneva. He has also played in two Challenger events this season. So, what type of match is Raonic expecting? 

"A very difficult one," he said. "I saw him play and he's playing well. He knows how to win and how to compete. There's probably some things that are a little bit difficult (for him), but he's, I'm sure, happy to be back playing and without much to lose. I got to be disciplined, sharp and really focused on taking care of what matters to me, on my game and making sure I do those things well."

If Raonic advances he will face Mikhail Kukushkin or Adrian Mannarino in the second round. The first seeded player he would face is No. 29 Lucas Pouille in the third round. Raonic has won both previous meetings with the Frenchman.  

Raonic's projected opponent in the fourth-round is 10th seed Marin Cilic with Jack Sock, the 23rd seed, also a possibility. Defending Roland Garros champion Stan Wawrinka, who lost to Raonic at the Australian Open, is the top seed in the quarter.  

Meanwhile, basketball is continuing to give Raonic an escape as he prepares for an intense fortnight. The die-hard Raptors fan has been watching the playoffs as much as he can while being based in Europe. He was very happy that a couple games have started in the afternoon back home, which has allowed him to watch. But even when he can't see the games live, he has been reading the recaps each morning.  

And he's still holding out hope that Toronto can challenge the front-running Cavaliers. 

"Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan can get really going and make that push and make it a difficult task for Cleveland to close them out. And then, if you can do that, sneak through a couple of games, and put the other guys under pressure it can change," Raonic said. "In any sport, pressure can make people crumble sometimes."