After winning first match in two years, Raonic says he craves a return to Toronto

At the end of 2021, Milos Raonic told people close to him he was done with tennis. 

All the injuries, the wear and tear — some days just getting out of bed was tough. It was enough for the former world No. 3 — time to figure out what to do with the rest of life. 

However, one thought kept creeping into his mind: the National Bank Open was scheduled to return to his hometown of Toronto in August 2023 after being in Montreal last year. Could Raonic somehow get healthy enough to play on those courts one more time? Could he play in the city that gave his family an opportunity after they left the former war-torn Yugoslavia when Raonic was young? 

“Toronto’s a unique thing. It’s every other year,” Raonic said. “The hardest thing for me is my parents were very involved in my tennis. (In) 2021, they could not come see tennis. For them to both be in Toronto will mean a lot to me.” 

Raonic, 32, took his long-awaited first step back to that goal on Monday, playing his first ATP Tour match in two years. Not only did he play, he looked good, winning 6-3, 6-4 over world No. 39 Miomir Kecmanović of Serbia at the grass-court Libema Open in 's-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands. 

“The tennis part is kind of the easiest part to deal with,” a candid Raonic told reporters.

“I obviously have to be very happy with how things went today. It could have been very different. It was very stressful at times. I’ve played after injuries many times where you miss three, four months, even up to six months when I had my hip surgery when I was much younger. But two years is a whole different thing and two years with a lot more turmoil … and just really stepping away from tennis in ’21 and not picking up a racket for pretty much a full year without hitting a single ball. 

“To want to come back took a lot. I didn’t just want to come back and be a player I wouldn’t be proud of. It took a lot of energy and I’m happy I got to here and I go day by day with it. I’m very grateful each and every day I can play.” 

Raonic, who has battled injuries throughout his career, suffered a heel injury during his last match in July 2021 in Atlanta. Shortly after that, his Achilles swelled up and then he learned it was torn. 

By the end of the year, he was telling people he was finished as a tennis player. 

“I really didn’t even want to bother trying because I was so far away from it. There were moments where I reached out (to others) … and said I’m done. End of ’21, I had no intention to play again.” 

But he didn’t quite get to retirement, even as the injuries added up. Shortly after his wedding in 2022, he broke a toe when a weight fell on his foot. He also tore a calf and was sidelined by COVID-19. He said he got out of shape and had to lose 40 pounds. 

None of that compared to the pain caused by the Achilles, though. 

“I think, especially the year without playing, you couldn’t really see progress,” Raonic said. “Because progress was so small that one day I would be able to get out of bed and walk and next day maybe not. It’s not like I took half a step back from being an athlete. I took a half step back from being able to do regular, every-day activities. That’s probably the thing that hurt the most and probably tired me out the most mentally.  

"But I do like to compete and I’m very competitive at everything I do. I’m just happy I put a lot of time into tennis. I’m pretty good at it and I can compete again and have a chance to be on the court playing tennis.” 

The hard-serving Raonic won 92 per cent of points when he got his first serve in on Monday, which has been his formula for success throughout a career that has been highlighted by a Wimbledon final appearance in 2016. 

Raonic has no clue if he can maintain that form in his next match against Australia's Jordan Thompson or French qualifier Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. 

“I don’t know how I will be in two days, I don’t know how I will be in two weeks,” Raonic said. “Everything is one by one. I know even if I have a bunch of pain come my next match, I will step on court one more time to play Wimbledon and will step on court one more time to play Toronto. Doesn’t matter how much pain I’m in. … somebody would really have to tell me you’re risking a lot more than an athletic future, you’re risking something a lot bigger than that for me not to be able to play in those two events one more time.” 

If he does make it to Toronto, expect it to be an emotional time. 

“We left a country during a war time and went to Canada,” Raonic said. “My parents have dedicated a lot to me. Tennis has given us a lot more life changes and security than possible.”