Milos Raonic's meteoric rise up the tennis ranks means he'll be stopping to sign a few more autographs and pose for a few more pictures when he walks the ground of Roland Garros next week.

But the hard-serving native of Thornhill, Ont., ranked No. 28th in the world heading into the French Open, is taking his newfound stardom in stride. A little attention, he says, certainly wouldn't hurt the sport.

"I'm still getting used to it for sure, and the thing is, it's all good stuff," Raonic said on a conference call Thursday from Paris. "It takes time, but it's fun to do and it's good exposure not just for myself but also for the sport."

Raonic rocketed up the ranks from No. 156 to 25th since the start of the year, which has made for busy times for the 20-year-old. He recently was profiled in a CNN feature. He's been pencilled in for autograph sessions at Roland Garros.

"Only positive things come out of (the recent attention) and to be even considered for these big opportunities is really special and it's really endearing and I appreciate these moments," Raonic said. "All those kinds of things, they do take quite a bit of time but they're also fun to do and a lot of good new experiences.

"I don't take them for granted."

Raonic's ranking dropped recently after he fell to Fernando Verdasco in the opening round of the Italian Open. But the Canadian said there were some positives to take from the early exit in Rome -- "from the mental aspect to the physical aspect.

"The body's good -- nothing is really bothering me at all -- to the mental aspect, it let me refresh a bit and get a little bit more hungry."

Raonic is making his first Grand Slam appearance as a seeded player, and said he has no expectations about how he'll fare at the storied tournament.

"I think it's more trying to enjoy it and trying to soak up the experience being my first time playing as a professional," Raonic said. "I'm just looking to build off it, it's a starting point. . . and it's a Grand Slam, it's a big tournament.

"I want to try to play my best and I think everything that comes from that, if I keep winning, all that kind of stuff, it's going to be amazing and it's just going to add onto the experience."

Raonic's clay-court experience hasn't gone well. A week before the Italian Open, he was dispatched in the first round of the Madrid Open by Feliciano Lopez of Spain.

The French Open will be an intense physical test -- the men play the best out of five instead of two of three -- plus the clay surface is punishing. But Raonic said his success will be more of a mental game than anything.

"I think mentally just accepting everything that happens," Raonic said. "I might not always play my best tennis every day, something else might be wrong, I can't control what happens day to day but I want to be able to accept it and deal with it and find a way to win," Raonic said.

"If I can play amazing all my matches, that will be a great feeling, but acceptance and being mentally prepared for everything is definitely a big part of it."

Raonic won the SAP Open in San Jose this season for the first Canadian title in 16 years. But his loss to American star Andy Roddick in the final of the ATP 500 event in Memphis garnered almost much attention, and was an endearing moment for fans. Roddick praised the young Canadian's performance and Raonic told the crowd that at least he'd be in a famous YouTube video, just on the wrong side of the court.

There has been the odd player, however, who has criticized Raonic's game, saying it's all in his serve.

But following a few months on the tour, Raonic said he's enjoying the camaraderie that comes with rubbing shoulders with the sport's best players.

"It's really nice, there's people you get along with more than others," Raonic said. "It's just like life, there are some people you get along with. But the locker-room is a lot of fun, especially now.

"Now that you're here every week, you're around the same players every week and it's a lot more enjoyable and you make closer bonds and trust, people you like to practise with more than others, people you go out to dinner with, so being on the road isn't as lonely. It's a lot more enjoyable and fun."

Raonic will learn his first-round opponent during Friday's draw.