One of the best servers of all time is returning to Montréal, a city close to his heart, to compete in the main draw of the National Bank Open presented by Rogers.
The Montréal Masters 1000 hasn’t hosted the towering (6’5”!) Canadian since 2019, though he was in the mix in Toronto last summer. He’s posted excellent results here, and the metropolis holds a lot of feel-good memories for him.
In 2007, Milos Raonic joined the National Training Centre in Parc Jarry before he embarked on an unparalleled international career. In 2013, he extended his run at the tournament all the way to the final, where he was thwarted by Rafael Nadal.
Those were some of the greatest years of his thriving career. In 2011, the ATP voted him Newcomer of the Year—a wholly deserved title.
In his trophy case are eight ATP winner’s crowns: San Jose (2011, 2012 and 2013), Chennai (2012), Bangkok (2013,) Washington (2014), St. Petersburg (2015) and Brisbane (2016).
As far as high-profile finals go, Andy Murray stopped him in his tracks at Wimbledon 2016. At the Masters 1000, Novak Djokovic got the better of him in Paris in 2014, Indian Wells in 2016 and Cincinnati in 2020 (held in NYC due to the COVID-19 pandemic).
Barrage of injuries
Over the years, Milos has suffered a dramatic (to say the least) series of injuries. He had surgery on his right hip in 2011 and then on his right foot four years later. In 2017, he had a procedure on his left wrist.
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And that’s on top of the pain in his left knee, Achilles tendon, back, right shoulder, thigh, right ankle and right calf.
In between rehab sessions, driven by his ambition and deep love of the game, Raonic fought hard to find his way back to tennis. When the pain was bearable, his success was mixed.
Still, the physical setbacks didn’t stop him from clocking up 8,445 aces in his extraordinary career and rise to World No.3 on November 21, 2016. Fast surfaces, like hard courts and especially grass, are where he truly excels.
At 33, he’s transcending the constant pain and clawing his way up in the rankings. As it stands, he’s 6-4 this season.
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He may not be as quick as he used to be at the net, in his lateral movements or on his returns, but his serve is as devastating as ever, especially on quicker courts. When his deadliest weapon is working for him, The Missile is hard to beat.
For Milos, Montréal is an opportunity to shine—a place where he’ll always have the entire stadium behind him. On a good day, he can annihilate even the most dangerous opponent, and that’s exactly what Montrealers will be wishing for him throughout the tournament.
Fun fact
- The ever-generous ace created the Milos Raonic Foundation to support children from disadvantaged backgrounds and remove economic, physical and other barriers that might prevent them from becoming healthy, productive members of society.
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