Milos Raonic Holds All the Aces

You may have thought he was circling retirement a mere 15 months ago, but the Canadian keeps dazzling the tennis world. Not only has he proven he’s got what it takes to compete against the best, he recently made the most of his time in London to shatter a record that loomed everlasting.

On June 17 at the Queen’s Club, he prevailed in a marathon match against local favourite No.44 Cameron Norrie and racked up 47 aces in the process. 

Yes, that’s 47. And yes, that’s a record. The previous record of 45 aces was clocked by the towering Ivo Karlovic during his takedown of Tomas Berdych in Halle way back in June 2015.

Those 47 aces make Milos only the seventh player to hit more than 40 in a best-of-three-sets match in over 30 years.

“I’m glad that behind that also stands a win, because maybe I'd feel differently or maybe a bit more sour if I was to get that many free points and lose the match. So overall, a very positive thing and a fun stat to be proud of,” said the newly minted record-holder after the match.

See all 47 in 70 seconds right here. Don’t blink or you’ll miss them.

Of the 47, four came in succession in game 10 of the opening set (and two clipped an official in the back court though without any unhappy consequences).

I thought Raonic would hang up his racquet with Team Canada after the Davis Cup Finals in Spain last November, but luckily I was wrong.

On January 15, 2024, Milos the Great was back in the race in Melbourne. Since then, he’s fought in 11 bouts (on June 20).

But let’s rewind to 12 months ago.

Since his comeback in mid-June 2023 after a full two-year hiatus, Milos played his first match as the No. 835 in ‘s-Hertogenbosch. On the grass, he utterly stunned No. 39 Miomir Kecmanovic, serving 15 aces and closing things out 6-3, 6-4 in 84 minutes.

Lire aussi : Sinner’s Dream Debut as World No. 1

With his protected ranking, he ended last season with a 4-4 record and wins over No. 159 Dennis Novak, No. 115 Taro Daniel and, most importantly, No. 10 Frances Tiafoe at the National Bank Open in Toronto.

In 2024, still thanks to his protected ranking, Milos is 6-5. He’s overpowered No. 23 Alexander Bublik, No. 141 Jesper de Jong, No.101 Sumit Nagal, No. 85 Roberto Bautista Agut, No. 37 Jordan Thompson and No. 39 Cameron Norrie and also managed to hold off Alex de Minaur, Jannik Sinner and Taylor Fritz.

Along the way, he rose to No. 157.

Read also: The Wonders of Grass-Court Tennis

There’s no doubt he would’ve liked a wildcard entry into Wimbledon, but he couldn’t use his protected ranking.

Of course, we’re all hoping he stays healthy and graces us with his presence in Montréal this August.

Roger Federer, PhD

Despite skipping university to pursue a career, Roger Federer is now an Ivy League PhD.

On June 11, on the grounds of the Green at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, he was handed an honorary doctorate and then gave the commencement speech in front of 11,000 graduates.

The Dartmouth sports teams being affectionately known as the Big Green, Fed went ahead with a very verdant parallel: “As you might have heard...grass is my favourite surface. Big Green, it must be destiny!”

Do yourself a favour and spend 25 minutes enjoying his inspiring viral moment.

The ATP's best return to Montreal this summer for the National Bank Open August 3 to 12, 2024 at IGA Stadium. 2024 Tickets are on sale. Get your tickets today!

Feature Photo: Zac Goodwin/PA via AP