LONDON – Milos Raonic is coy when asked how close he feels he is to breaking through at a grand slam.

"Ask me in two weeks," he said with a big smile. "I think that's the best answer."

Last year, the 24-year-old reached the semifinals at Wimbledon marking the first time he made it to the final four at a major. But he was humbled in the semifinals, dropping a straight-set decision to Roger Federer in what was Raonic's debut on the All England Club's famed Centre Court.

"I learned a very large amount about how I would deal with it differently," Raonic said.

The biggest improvement the big-serving Canadian feels he has made this season is in how he thinks the game.

"Mentally and mentally," he said when asked where he's grown the most since last year's Wimbledon run. "I think it all connects mentally. I've improved in a lot of aspects, but having a better understanding of my game, knowing what I need to do, knowing how to deal with difficult situations better, I think that's been my biggest step forward."

Raonic is seeded seventh this year, but just last month, he rose to a career high of No. 4 in the world. Then surgery to his right foot to repair a damaged nerve (Morton's Neuroma) sidelined him for the French Open, thus slowing any momentum.

While his chief rivals battled on the red clay of Roland Garros, Raonic worked hard to get back into match shape.

"I don't think I watched a single point outside of what I was watching in the gym while we were working out," he said. "My days were busy. We were training seven, eight hours a day."

Raonic has played in just one tournament since the surgery reaching the quarterfinals at the Queen's Club, ultimately falling to 13th-ranked Gilles Simon.

"I feel like I've really managed the situation in a great way where I'm playing some very good tennis," Raonic said. "I think if I can get through my early matches, that's going to buy me time to keep searching and find my game."

To that end, Raonic has received a good draw. First up, on Monday, he will face Spaniard Daniel Gimeno-Traver, who he bested in their only previous meeting at the 2014 Australian Open. The 62nd-ranked Gimeno-Traver has lost in the first round at Wimbledon in his last four appearances and has won just one match here in his five trips.

In the second round, Raonic would face either 37-year-old Tommy Haas, who has just returned from a lengthy injury absence or the 86th-ranked Dusan Lajovic.

All things considered, Raonic is feeling fairly confident.

"I feel like I'm going to have to tough out a lot of things, which is normal, but those are the great challenges that I look forward to," he said.