_(35793471790).jpg) Raonic at the2017 Wimbledon Championships | |
| Native name | Милош Раонић Miloš Raonić |
|---|---|
| Country (sports) |  Canada |
| Residence | Monte Carlo, Monaco |
| Born | (1990-12-27)December 27, 1990 (age 34) Titograd, SR Montenegro, SFR Yugoslavia |
| Height | 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in)[1][2] |
| Turned pro | 2008 |
| Retired | July 2024 (last match played) |
| Plays | Right-handed (two-handed backhand) |
| Coach | Mario Tudor (2019–) |
| Prize money | US$20,764,512[3] |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 383–184 (67.5%) |
| Career titles | 8 |
| Highest ranking | No. 3 (November 21, 2016) |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Australian Open | SF (2016) |
| French Open | QF (2014) |
| Wimbledon | F (2016) |
| US Open | 4R (2012,2013,2014,2018) |
| Other tournaments | |
| Tour Finals | SF (2016) |
| Olympic Games | 2R (2012) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 26–36 (41.9%) |
| Career titles | 0 |
| Highest ranking | No. 103 (June 10, 2013) |
| Other doubles tournaments | |
| Olympic Games | 1R (2024) |
| Team competitions | |
| Davis Cup | SF (2013) |
| Hopman Cup | RR (2014) |
| Last updated on: September 15, 2025. | |
Milos Raonic (Serbian Cyrillic:Милош Раонић,romanized: Miloš Raonić,pronounced[mǐloʃrâonitɕ];[4] born December 27, 1990) is a Canadian former professionaltennis player. He has beenranked world No. 3 in men's singles by theATP, making him the highest-ranked Canadian in ATP history. He has won eightATP Tour titles, and reached amajor final at the2016 Wimbledon Championships.
Raonic first gained widespread recognition by reaching the fourth round of the2011 Australian Open as a qualifier.[5][6][7][8] Coupled with his first ATP Tour title three weeks later, his world ranking rose from No. 152 to No. 37 in one month, and he was named the 2011ATP Newcomer of the Year. Raonic is the first player born in the 1990s to be ranked in the top 10 and to qualify for theATP Finals. His career highlights include his 2016Wimbledon final, two semifinals at the2014 Wimbledon Championships and2016 Australian Open, and fourMasters finals. He is the first Canadian man in theOpen Era to reach the Wimbledon final, theAustralian Open semifinals, and theFrench Open quarterfinals.
Raonic is frequently described as having one of the bestserves among his contemporaries.[9][10][11][12] Statistically, Raonic is one of the best servers in the Open Era, winning 91% ofservice games to rank (third-most of all time). Aided by his serve, he plays anall-court style with an emphasis on short points. All his singles titles have been won onhardcourts. His overall winning percentage of 68% is one of the highest among currently active players.
Raonic was born on December 27, 1990, inTitograd, SFR Yugoslavia (nowPodgorica, Montenegro),[13][14] and is ofSerb heritage.[15][16][17][18] Prompted by thebreakup of Yugoslavia andsubsequent ethnic conflict, and seeking more professional opportunities, his family moved to Canada in 1994 when he was three, settling inBrampton, Ontario.[13][19][20]
His parents are both engineers;[21] his father, Dušan, holds aPh.D. in electrical engineering,[20] while his mother, Vesna, has degrees in mechanical and computer engineering, including amaster's.[2][21] He has two older siblings: his sister, Jelena, is eleven years older, while his brother, Momir, is nine years older.[2] Raonic's uncle,Branimir Gvozdenović, is a politician in theGovernment of Montenegro,[22][23] where he has served asDeputy Prime Minister.[24] Raonic is fluent in Serbian and English.[25]
His first, brief introduction to tennis came at age six or seven with a week-long tennis camp at the Bramalea Tennis Club in Brampton, followed by weekly hour-long group sessions led by tennis coach Steve Gibson, who recognized his potential.[2] He moved to nearbyThornhill, Ontario soon after, and one or two years passed before he asked his parents if he could play again.[2][13] His father sought out coach Casey Curtis at the Blackmore Tennis Club in neighbouringRichmond Hill, Ontario.[9] Curtis was at first reluctant to take on Raonic, but was convinced after Raonic demonstrated his commitment by working with his father and aball machine daily for two months.[2][13][26] Years later, Raonic said he chose tennis because of its "individuality and [because he] felt [he] could train more alone and on a ball machine with [his] dad".[26]
Raonic and Curtis worked together "twice a day, almost every day, for the next nine years."[13] Provided that he complete his courses, Raonic was allowed to reduce his hours of attendance at Thornhill Elementary School so that he could practise more, which he did both before and after school.[2] His parents and siblings supported his tennis, taking turns driving him to practice and tournaments, but did not push him to it or interfere with coaching.[19][27][28] Rather, they emphasized school throughout, insisting that he maintain academic excellence as a prerequisite to playing tennis.[2] He attendedThornhill Secondary School,[29] and accelerated his course load—achieving an 82 percent average—so that he could graduate a year early.[13][27] Late in 2007, at the age of 16, Raonic moved to Montreal as one of the first group of players atTennis Canada's newNational Tennis Centre, thus marking the end of his formal relationship with Curtis.[30][31]
Raonic's four favourite sports teams areFC Barcelona, theToronto Blue Jays, theToronto Maple Leafs, and theToronto Raptors.[25][32] He played in the2016 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game held in Toronto.[33]
He worked forRogers Sportsnet as an analyst while recovering from injury for their broadcast of the2011 Canadian Open.[34] In November 2011, Raonic won an exhibition match against his childhood idol,Pete Sampras, which was dubbed "The Face Off."[30] In 2012, he took up residence inMonte Carlo,Monaco in a 50 metre2 (538 sq ft) apartment, located minutes away from theMonte Carlo Country Club—his "home" tennis club and the site of theMonte-Carlo Masters tournament—andStade Louis II, which he uses for off-court training.[35][36] Raonic was in a relationship with Canadian model Danielle Knudson.[37] In April 2022 Raonic married in Italy model Camille Ringoir.[38]
Raonic first competed at ajunior event sanctioned by theInternational Tennis Federation (ITF) in October 2003 at the age of 12.[39] Milos partnered fellow Canadian Cameron Chiang and made it to the finals of the Benjamin Open in Bordeaux, France. Two years later, in October 2005, he picked up his first singles match victory at age 14.[39] His first juniors titles in both singles and doubles came at the sameGrade 4 tournament in October 2006.[40] Later that year, he won the Prince Cup doubles title, partnering fellow CanadianVasek Pospisil for the first time at an ITF event.[41] Pospisil and Raonic partnered at four more junior tournaments, including the2008 Wimbledon Championships and the2008 French Open, reaching the semifinals in the latter.[39][42] His most notable titles as a junior were in doubles, winning two Grade 1 events in 2008 partnered withBradley Klahn.[39][43][44]
Over five years, Raonic compiled a 53–30 win–loss record in singles, and a 56–24 record in doubles on theITF Junior Circuit. Except for reaching the semifinals at the 2008 French Open in doubles, Raonic did not advance past the second round of junior Grand Slam events. His career-highcombined junior ranking, which considers both singles and doubles results, was No. 35.[39]
While an amateur, Raonic played in fourteenprofessional tournaments against adults in North America: tenITF Futures events at the bottom tier of professional tennis; threeATP Challenger Tour events at the middle tier; and oneATP World Tour event at the top tier.[14] He played his first professional circuit match in the qualifying draw of an ITF Futures tournament in Toronto in October 2005 at the age of 14;[45] he won his first professional circuit main draw match at an ITF Futures tournament in Gatineau, Quebec, in March 2007 againstFabrice Martin.[46] With the win, Raonic earned his first world ranking of No. 1518.[47] He played his first professional circuit doubles match at the same tournament, partnered with Pospisil again.[46] Raonic lost his first ATP Challenger Tour match in Granby, Quebec, in July 2007 againstGary Lugassy.[48] Raonic won his first ITF Futures doubles title in Gatineau, Quebec in March 2008,[49] and reached his first ITF Futures singles final two weeks later in Sherbrooke, Quebec.[50] He received a wildcard to the qualifying tournament of the2008 Canadian Open, but lost in the first round toAlexander Kudryavtsev. The match was his first in the ATP World Tour.[51]
By the summer of 2008, Raonic had received scholarship offers from several colleges, including theUniversity of Michigan,Princeton, andNorthwestern University, and committed to play for theUniversity of Virginia that fall while studyingfinance. Just two weeks before school started, he consulted his parents about his plan to turn professional instead.[27] Raonic and his parents agreed that he would take correspondence courses in finance fromAthabasca University while starting a professional tennis career, setting a deadline of two years for reaching the top 100.[13][27] During that summer, his world ranking ranged between No. 915 and No. 937.[47] Raonic reached the top 100 in January 2011, around five months later than the target deadline.[47] He thus turned down the scholarships and turned professional, agreeing to be represented by thesports agency SFX.[52] University of Virginia men's tennis coachBrian Boland later commented that "I have only seen two guys turn down scholarships and then succeed quickly on the Tour:Sam Querrey and Milos Raonic."[27]
After turning professional in September 2008 until the end of 2010, Raonic played both singles and doubles, primarily at ITF Futures and ATP Challenger tournaments.[14] He won his first ITF Futures singles title in March 2009 in Montreal.[53] He added three more singles titles and five doubles titles at the ITF Futures level in 2009 and 2010.[14] He was less successful at the ATP Challenger level, tallying only one title.[14] In his fourth tournament after turning professional, Raonic won the doubles title at theMen's Rimouski Challenger in November 2008, partnered with Pospisil.[54]
At the ATP World Tour level, Raonic gained entry into few tournaments, compiling a main draw record of three wins and five losses over nearly two and half years.[51] In 2009, Raonic again received a wildcard for the qualifying tournament of theCanadian Open. This time, he beat No. 77Teymuraz Gabashvili and No. 113Michaël Llodra to qualify for the main draw of an ATP World Tour tournament for the first time. In the first round, he held amatch point, but lost to No. 10Fernando González in three sets.[2] The matches against Gabashvili and González were the first singles matches for Raonic against a top 100 player and top 10 player, respectively.[51]
A year later, at the2010 Canadian Open, Raonic and Pospisil were given a doubles wildcard to the main draw, marking Raonic's first ever ATP World Tour doubles match.[51][55] They won their first round match againstRafael Nadal andNovak Djokovic. It was first time that the world Nos. 1 and 2 had played together in a tour doubles match sinceJimmy Connors andArthur Ashe did so in 1976.[55] In the second round, Raonic and Pospisil lost to reigningWimbledon doubles championsJürgen Melzer andPhilipp Petzschner. After the match, Raonic said: "Our goal here is pretty much as ambassadors to Canada. The more players that we can get to come, the more people we can get going to take tennis lessons."[56]
Less than a month later, Raonic gained entry into aGrand Slam tournament for the first time at the2010 US Open.[57] Hequalified for the main draw, but lost in the first round toCarsten Ball.[51] Raonic's first ATP main draw singles victory came in September 2010 at theMalaysian Open against No. 105Igor Kunitsyn.[58] He followed this with a second round victory over No. 31Sergiy Stakhovsky. The following week, Raonic lost in the second round of the2010 Japan Open to No. 1 Nadal.[59][60] This marked his first singles match against a player ranked No. 1,[51] and his first singles match against a member of theBig Four—a quartet of dominant tennis players including Nadal, Djokovic,Roger Federer, andAndy Murray.[61]
Raonic's coaching relationship evolved during his early professional years. Since late 2007, Raonic had been working with Tennis Canada coaches—includingGuillaume Marx, Head Boys National Coach[62][63]—based out of the National Training Centre atJarry Park in Montreal.[64] In November 2009, with Raonic's world ranking at No. 377, Tennis Canada hired recently retired former playerFrédéric Niemeyer to coach Raonic and travel with him for 18 weeks during the 2010 season.[64] Toward the end of 2010, however, Niemeyer decided to travel less owing to "family considerations."[65] As a result, Tennis Canada arranged for a two-week trial period with former No. 40Galo Blanco in co-operation with Niemeyer, including tournaments in Malaysia and Japan in late September and early October.[63] Over this period, Raonic climbed from No. 237 to No. 155.[51] Tennis Canada hired Blanco, and Raonic moved toBarcelona to train with Blanco and trainer Tony Estalella. Commenting on the training regiment, Blanco said "the off-season Milos had this winter in Barcelona was amazing. We never saw anything like that before, working the way he worked for six weeks."[66]
The first two months of 2011 represented a significant breakthrough for Raonic, as he rose from No. 156 at the beginning of January to No. 37 by the end of February.[47] In doing so, he became the highest-ranked Canadian male ever.[67] He began this climb byqualifying for theAustralian Open main draw. His first round victory overBjörn Phau marked his first victory in a main draw Grand Slam match.[68] In the second round, he defeated No. 22 seed Llodra, becoming the first Canadian man in 10 years to reach the third round of a Grand Slam singles tournament.[69] With his career-first victory over a top 10 player (Mikhail Youzhny) in the third round,[22] he became the first qualifier to make the fourth round of a major sinceMarcelo Filippini at the1999 French Open.[70]
Despite losing in the fourth round to No. 7David Ferrer,[71] Raonic received rave reviews for his Australian Open performance.Patrick McEnroe said "Raonic [is] the real deal".[5][72]BBC Sport referred to Raonic as part of "a new generation".[7]Martina Navratilova referred to Raonic as "a new star" saying that "the sky is the limit".[6]The Sydney Morning Herald referred to Raonic as a "future superstar".[8]
Two weeks later, Raonic won his first ATP title at thePacific Coast Championships, with victories over No. 45Xavier Malisse, No. 170James Blake, No. 74Ričardas Berankis, and No. 9Fernando Verdasco.[51] With the victory, he became the first player born in the 1990s to win an ATP title,[73][74] and the youngest winner sinceMarin Čilić won the2008 Connecticut Open at age 19. Raonic's victory was the first ATP title by a Canadian sinceGreg Rusedski in 1995.[75]
The following week, Raonic reached the final of anATP 500 tournament for the first time at theU.S. National Indoor Tennis Championships.[76] He defeated Verdasco for the second time in three days in the first round,[51] and No. 17Mardy Fish in the semifinal.[76] In the final, he lost in three sets to No. 8 Roddick, with Roddick making a diving forehand to break serve for the match on his fifth championship point. Roddick stated: "That's the best shot I've ever hit in my life, considering the circumstance."[77]
With his improved ranking (No. 37), Raonic earned direct entry to Grand Slam tournaments and other ATP World Tour events for the first time.[51] He reached the third round at both theIndian Wells Masters and theMonte-Carlo Masters.[78] In May, Raonic rose to a new career-high ranking of No. 25.[47] He was seeded for the first time at a Grand Slam event at theFrench Open, but lost in the first round toMichael Berrer.[79][80] At theHalle Open, Raonic reached his first ATP World Tour doubles final, partnered withRobin Haase. The pair lost toRohan Bopanna andAisam-ul-Haq Qureshi in the decidingsuper tiebreak.[51] During his second round singles match atWimbledon againstGilles Müller, Raonic retired with an early lead after injuring his right hip when he slipped and fell on the grass.[81] He underwent hip surgery which prevented him from competing until September.[82] His only significant result in the latter half of 2011 after returning from injury was a semifinal appearance at theStockholm Open, where he lost toGaël Monfils.[51]
Raonic began 2012 with titles in two of his first three tournaments, starting with his second ATP title at theChennai Open in India. He had back-to-back wins over top 10 players at a tournament for the first time, beatingNicolás Almagro in the semifinals andJanko Tipsarević in the final.[83] Raonicheld serve during the entire tournament, becoming the first player to do so since Federer at the2008 Halle Open.[84] He lost in the third round of theAustralian Open toLleyton Hewitt.[85] In February, Raonic defended his title at thePacific Coast Championships, defeatingDenis Istomin in the final for his third ATP title.[86] The following week in Memphis, Raonic reached the final of theU.S. National Indoor Tennis Championships for the second straight year, but lost to Melzer.[86]
In the spring, Raonic played his first three matches against No. 3 Federer on three different surfaces: hard court in the third round of theIndian Wells Masters; clay in the second round at theMadrid Open; and grass in the quarterfinals at theHalle Open.[87] On each occasion, Raonic won the first set before losing the next two. After the Halle Open match, Federer remarked: "I am happy to have beaten him now because by the end of my career, he'll be serving at 300 km/h."[88] He defeated No. 4 Murray in straight sets in the quarterfinals at theBarcelona Open. This marked his first victory over a member of the Big Four.[61] In the semifinal, he lost to No. 6 Ferrer. Raonic lost toJuan Mónaco in the third round of theFrench Open, and followed this with a second round loss to Querrey atWimbledon.[51]
Raonic reached his firstATP 1000 quarterfinals at back-to-back events in August, losing toJohn Isner at theCanadian Open andStan Wawrinka at theCincinnati Masters. His loss to Wawrinka followed his victory over No. 7Tomáš Berdych, his fourth top 10 victory of the year.[83] On August 13, his world ranking was No. 19, marking his first time in the top 20.[47] At theUS Open, Raonic lost in the fourth round to eventual champion Murray. Raonic was the first Canadian male to reach the fourth round of the US Open since Laurendeau in 1988.[89] In October at theJapan Open, Raonic reached his third ATP 500 final, defeatingRadek Štěpánek,Viktor Troicki, Tipsarević, and Murray, before dropping the final to Japan'sKei Nishikori in three sets.[51][90] His victories over Tipsarević and Murray marked the third time he won back-to-back matches against top 10 players.[83]
In 2012, Raonic led the ATP in points won on 1st serve (82%)[91] and in service games won (93%).[92] He finished the year at a career high singles ranking of No. 13.[47] His six victories over top 10 players in 2012, including two over Murray, marks a career-high.[83]
In all four 2013 Grand Slam tournaments, Raonic matched his previous best result.[51] He reached the fourth round of theAustralian Open, falling to No. 2 Federer. At theFrench Open, he lost in the third round toKevin Anderson. AtWimbledon, he lost in the second round toIgor Sijsling. At theUS Open, he fell to No. 9Richard Gasquet in the fourth round in a five-set thriller, despite a career-high 39 aces.[93][94]
Raonic again achieved success atATP 250 and ATP 500 events. In February, Raonic earned his third consecutive title at thePacific Coast Championships, defeatingTommy Haas in the final. Over three years, he achieved a perfect 12–0 match record, and did not drop a single set.[95] He is the only man in the Open Era to win three consecutive singles titles at this event.[96][97] In September, he won theThailand Open tournament, defeating No. 9 Gasquet in the semifinals and No. 6 Berdych in the final.[98] The titles were Raonic's fourth and fifth, both coming in ATP 250 events like previous titles.[51] In October, Raonic reached theJapan Open final for the second consecutive year, but lost a close match to No. 7Juan Martín del Potro.[99] It marked his fourth consecutive loss in the final of an ATP 500 event.[51]
In eight of the nine ATP 1000 events, Raonic matched or improved on his career-best performance.[51] This included his first ATP 1000 series final at theCanadian Open in August. During his third round victory over del Potro, Raonic was awarded a point even though his foot touched the net. He did not report his error to the umpire, and won the last nine points to close out the match. Raonic later admitted that he was wrong not to admit his error at the time: "I made a mistake in the spur of the moment ... I'm disappointed with myself, how I dealt with it."[100] After beatingErnests Gulbis in the quarterfinals, Raonic defeated compatriot Pospisil in the semifinals. The match against Pospisil was the first all-Canadian semifinal in an ATP 1000 tournament.[101] In the final, he lost to Nadal in just 68 minutes.[102][103] Following the tournament, Raonic was ranked No. 10, becoming the first Canadian player and the first player born in the 1990s to break into the top 10.[74]
In 2013, Raonic again led the ATP in points won on first serve (82%)[104] and in service games won (91%).[105] He had 45 match victories for the second consecutive year.[51] His coaching team underwent significant changes in 2013. In May, Raonic split with his coach of two and half years, Blanco.[106] Less than a month later, Raonic hired former No. 3 tennis playerIvan Ljubičić as his coach.[107] In December, he hiredRiccardo Piatti as a co-coach with Ljubičić.[108]
Raonic opened 2014 by reaching the third round of theAustralian Open, losing toGrigor Dimitrov.[51] He sustained an ankle injury that kept him out of action for six weeks.[108]
From March through May, Raonic improved on his career-best performance at five consecutive ATP 1000 events.[51] At theIndian Wells Masters, he beat No. 6 Murray to reach the quarterfinals, losing toAlexandr Dolgopolov. He lost in the quarterfinals of theMiami Masters to Nadal. He reached the quarterfinals for the third ATP 1000 tournament in a row at theMonte-Carlo Masters, before falling to Wawrinka. The result garnered Raonic a career-high ranking as world No. 9.[47] Raonic lost in the third round of theMadrid Open to Nishikori. At theItalian Open, Raonic defeatedJérémy Chardy in the quarterfinals to reach his first Masters 1000 semifinal on clay.[109] After winning the first set, he lost his semifinal match to eventual champion Djokovic. Although he had played Djokovic in the 2013 Davis Cup, this was their first ATP match against one another.[110]
At theFrench Open, Raonic was seeded in the top eight for the first time at a Grand Slam tournament.[111] He notched victories againstNick Kyrgios,Jiří Veselý,Gilles Simon, andMarcel Granollers to reach the quarterfinals of a major for the first time in his career, becoming the first Canadian man to do so in theOpen Era. He lost in the quarterfinals to Djokovic in straight sets. After the match, Raonic commented: "I've gone farther in a Slam than I have before and I've learned things even from this loss."[112]
AtWimbledon, Raonic was again seeded eighth.[113] He defeatedMatthew Ebden,Jack Sock,Łukasz Kubot, Nishikori, and Kyrgios to reach his first major semifinal.[114] He became the first Canadian men's singles player to reach the semifinals at a major sinceRobert Powell in 1908.[115] In the quarterfinal victory against Kyrgios, Raonic tied a career-high with 39 aces. In the semifinals, Raonic lost to Federer in straight sets.[116] After the match, Raonic reflected: "There's a lot of good things to take from it. ... But when you get here to this point, I think it's just human nature, the greed of human nature, that you want so much more. You feel it in front of you and you want to grab it."[117] Despite the loss, Raonic saw his world ranking improve to a career-high No. 6.[47]
In his next tournament, Raonic reached his first final of the year at theWashington Open, facing Pospisil in the first all-Canadian final in ATP history.[118] Raonic won the title in straight sets. It was his first ATP 500 title, after finishing as runner-up in four previous ATP 500 tournaments.[51] After reaching the quarterfinals at theCanadian Open and the semifinals at theCincinnati Masters, he claimed the men's2014 US Open Series.[119]
At theUS Open, Raonic was seeded fifth.[120] He won his first three matches to face rival Nishikori in the fourth round. On the morning of September 2, Raonic and Nishikori tied the all-time latest finish for a match at theUS Open, ending at 2:26 a.m. This tied previous matches betweenMats Wilander andMikael Pernfors in 1993, and between Isner andPhilipp Kohlschreiber in 2012. The five set match lasted 4 hours and 19 minutes, with Raonic losing and Nishikori advancing to the quarterfinals.[121] In October, Raonic reached the final of theJapan Open for the third consecutive year, but lost to Nishikori again.[122]
Three years prior, in 2011, Raonic had set a personal goal of reaching the year-endATP Finals, where only the top eight players earned a spot.[123] Heading into the last ATP 1000 event of 2014, theParis Masters, Raonic trailed Ferrer for the eighth spot, and needed a deep run to surpass him.[123] He beat Sock andRoberto Bautista Agut to set up a quarterfinals match against No. 2 Federer, who had beaten him in all six previous meetings.[51][87] Needing a win to avoid being eliminated from contention for the ATP Finals, Raonic won in straight sets.[124] His victory was hailed as "a career-defining win."[123] In the post-match interview, Raonic was asked to rank this victory in his career. He replied: "Considering all the circumstances around it, I think this was the biggest win for me."[125] He went on to beat No. 5 Berdych in the semifinals to earn a spot in the second ATP 1000 final of his career.[51] He lost to Djokovic in the final, but secured his place in the2014 ATP Finals.[126] He is the first Canadian to reach the ATP Finals,[123] and the first player born in the 1990s to do so.[127] Anticlimactically, Raonic withdrew from the tournament due to a leg-muscle tear prior to his match against Nishikori,[128] after losses to Federer and Murray.[51]
Raonic ended the year at a career-high season-ending ranking of No. 8.[47] He was one of just three players to reach the quarterfinals or better at seven of the nine ATP 1000 tournaments.[129] Raonic finished with a career-high total of 1107 aces in 2014. At the time, this was the fifth highest single-year ace total in history.[130] (It was surpassed by bothIvo Karlović and Isner in 2015.)[131]
.jpg)
Raonic began 2015 by reaching the final at theBrisbane International after defeating No. 5 Nishikori in three sets, all decided intiebreaks.[132] He lost to No. 2 Federer in three sets, with Federer recording his 1,000th match win on the professional tour.[133] Later in the month, he reached the quarterfinals of theAustralian Open after beating No. 12Feliciano López. He lost to Djokovic in straight sets.[51]
At theIndian Wells Masters, Raonic won his quarterfinal match against No. 3 Nadal, after saving three match points from Nadal in the second set tiebreak.[134] It was Raonic's first career victory over Nadal after five defeats.[59] He lost to Federer in the semifinals.[51]
In April, Raonic opened theMonte-Carlo Masters with a victory overJoão Sousa. Just one game into his second-round match againstTommy Robredo, Raonic called for a medical timeout due to a right foot injury. Although he went on to win the match, Raonic's manager indicated that Raonic had made a pre-existing injury worse by playing.[135] In his quarterfinal match against Berdych, he complained of numbness in his right foot during a medical timeout, and retired while trailing 2–5 in the opening set.[136] It was diagnosed as a pinched nerve, and Raonic was expected to be healthy for theMadrid Open.[136]
In Madrid, Raonic advanced to the quarterfinals with straight sets victories over Mónaco andLeonardo Mayer. After Raonic lost in the quarterfinals against Murray, Murray observed that Raonic was "struggling [with injury]."[137] Following the match, Raonic announced that he would undergo surgery to repair a nerve in his foot, targeting a return in time for theFrench Open.[138] Ironically, Raonic's world ranking reached a new career-high of No. 4 the following week, the highest by a Canadian man or woman.[139]
Following surgery, Raonic withdrew from theItalian Open and the French Open.[140] He returned in time for the grass court season. Having played in Halle in previous years, Raonic elected to play at theQueen's Club Championships for the first time. Raonic lost in the quarterfinals in his Queen's debut, and lost in the third round atWimbledon.[51] After his Wimbledon loss to Kyrgios, Raonic commented that his foot injury had led to problems throughout his body: "There wasn't a place it wasn't [bothering me]... First ankle, then the hip, and then the back. Then when those things aren't working, you just put too much pressure on your shoulder, and then your shoulder hurts."[141] The cascading injuries led to a withdrawal fromCanada'sDavis Cuptie againstBelgium;[142] a withdrawal from theWashington Open,[143] where Raonic was the defending champion; first round losses at theCanadian Open[144] andCincinnati Masters;[145] and a third round loss at theUS Open to López.[146]
In September, at theSt. Petersburg Open, Raonic won his seventh singles title—and first in Europe—with a three-set victory over Sousa. His serve was broken just once in the entire tournament.[147] After early losses at theChina Open andShanghai Masters, Raonic ended his ATP season by withdrawing from three consecutive tournaments, citing injury.[148] On November 2, he fell outside the top 10, dropping to No. 14.[47] After six weeks off, Raonic joined thePhilippine Mavericks of the exhibitionInternational Premier Tennis League (IPTL) in December. After four matches, he withdrew due to back spasms.[149]
In late November, Raonic parted ways with both Ljubičić, who had been his coach since June 2013, and Austin Nunn, who had been his media manager for nearly four years.[150] Ljubičić was added to Federer's coaching team two weeks later.[151] Raonic contacted former No. 1 tennis playerCarlos Moyá about a coaching relationship, and they trained together and had discussions during the IPTL events.[152][153] The relationship was subsequently formalized and on January 1, 2016, Raonic announced that Moyá would join his coaching team alongside Piatti.[154] Raonic said that he chose Moyá for three reasons: "Carlos is very laid back and positive [... and] he communicates well."[153]
Raonic reached the final of theBrisbane International against No. 3 Federer in a rematch of their 2015 final. This time, Raonic upset Federer in straight sets, winning his eighth career title.[155] Asked to talk about Raonic after the match, Federer observed: "[F]or a big guy he moves well ... He's improved his fitness the last few years. Also, tactically, I think he's better now than he's ever been. He's made a conscious effort of playing close to the baseline, which before when he was working with the Spanish coaches he was way back."[156]
In the fourth round of theAustralian Open, he upset No. 4 Wawrinka in five sets, beating the 2014 champion for the first time in five meetings.[157] He then beat Monfils in the quarterfinals to advance to the semifinals of the Australian Open for the first time in his career.[158] He became the first Canadian man to reach the Australian Open semifinals.[159] In the semifinals, he lost to No. 2 Murray in five sets, sustaining anadductor injury while leading two sets to one. After the match, he reflected that the loss was "probably the most heartbroken [he has] felt on court."[160]
The adductor injury kept Raonic out of competition for six weeks, during which he withdrew from theDelray Beach Open and theMexican Open, and Canada's Davis Cup clash withFrance.[161] He returned to action at theIndian Wells Masters, reaching the final against No. 1 Djokovic with a string of four victories over top 20 opponents:Bernard Tomic, Berdych, Monfils, andDavid Goffin.[51] In the semifinal victory over Goffin, Raonic's average second serve (112 mph) was faster than Goffin's average first serve (110 mph).[162] Before the final, Djokovic said: "Milos is probably playing the best tennis that he has ever played. His serve was phenomenal before the start of this season, but it seems like he has improved even more, especially the second serve. He's going for it more. He's not giving you the same look."[162] Raonic lost a lopsided straight sets match to Djokovic in the final, his third consecutive loss in an ATP 1000 final.[51]
Raonic followed Indian Wells by reaching the quarterfinals at the next three ATP 1000 events inMiami,Monte Carlo, andMadrid, eventually losing to Kyrgios, Murray, and Djokovic, respectively.[51] On May 2, he re-entered the top 10 at No. 10.[47] Raonic continued the clay court season with a second-round loss at theItalian Open to Kyrgios.[51] At theFrench Open, he was the eighth seed, but fell in the fourth round in straight sets to No. 55Albert Ramos Viñolas.[163] During the French Open, former No. 1 and three-time Wimbledon championJohn McEnroe announced that he would join Raonic's team as a consultant for the grass court season. Commenting on McEnroe joining Moyá and Piatti on his coaching team, Raonic said: "I was sort of just looking for another set of eyes to be a bit more efficient on grass" and he said it was about "generally improving."[164] McEnroe left Raonic's team in August.[165]
Raonic began the grass court season by advancing to his first grass court final at theQueen's Club Championships without dropping serve in victories over Kyrgios, Veselý, Bautista Agut, and Tomic, but lost the final in three sets to Murray.[51][166] AtWimbledon, Raonic won his first three matches in straight sets againstPablo Carreño Busta,Andreas Seppi, and Sock.[51] In the fourth round against Goffin, Raonic came back from a two set deficit to win in five sets for the first time in his career.[167] In ten previous best-of-five matches where he lost the first two sets, he also lost the third set.[168] Raonic then beat Querrey in the quarterfinals and Federer in the semifinals, marking Federer's first defeat in 11 Wimbledon semifinals.[51][169] With the victory, Raonic reached his first Grand Slam final, matching Greg Rusedski. In the final, he lost to Murray in straight sets, though he made the fastest serve of the tournament at 147 miles per hour (237 km/h).[170]
With the transition to hard courts after Wimbledon, Raonic made the quarterfinals of theCanadian Open, losing to Monfils,[171] before falling to Murray for the fifth time in 2016 in theCincinnati Masters semifinal.[172] Raonic was the fifth seed at theUS Open, but lost in the second round toRyan Harrison, partly due to debilitating cramps.[173] In September, cramps were cited as the reason for Raonic to miss Canada's Davis Cup tie againstChile.[174] Later that month, Raonic failed to defend his title at theSt. Petersburg Open, falling in his opening match to Youzhny.[175] Raonic withdrew from theChina Open prior to his semifinal match due to an ankle injury sustained in the quarterfinal.[176] With the result, Raonic qualified for the ATP World Tour Finals for the second time.[177] Raonic suffered another injury, a quadriceps tear, during his quarterfinal match againstJo-Wilfried Tsonga at theParis Masters and withdrew before his scheduled semifinal against Murray.[178]
At theATP World Tour Finals, Raonic lost to Djokovic, but beat Monfils and Thiem in round robin play to qualify for his first Tour Finals semifinal.[179] He lost the semifinal match to Murray in 3 hours and 38 minutes, the longest match on the ATP Tour in 2016 and the longest match in World Tour Finals history.[180] Raonic rose to a career-high No. 3, finishing the year behind only Murray and Djokovic.[180] In December, he ended his coaching relationship with Moya,[181] and added former Wimbledon championRichard Krajicek to his coaching staff alongside Piatti for the 2017 season.[182]
At his first tournament of the season, theBrisbane International, Raonic reached the semifinals with wins overDiego Schwartzman andRafael Nadal in the first two rounds. He lost toGrigor Dimitrov in straight sets. At theAustralian Open, he won his first two matches in straight sets respectively overDustin Brown andGilles Müller. In the third and fourth rounds, he defeatedGilles Simon and thenRoberto Bautista Agut both in four sets. Though Raonic failed to get past eventual finalistRafael Nadal in the quarterfinals, this result marked the third year in a row that Milos made at least the quarterfinals at this tournament.[183] At his next tournament in February, he reached the final inDelray Beach, givingJack Sock a walkover in the final due to a hamstring tear in his right leg.[184]
Returning from injury at theMiami Open in March, Raonic defeatedViktor Troicki in his opening round but had to withdraw from his next match against qualifierJared Donaldson, again with the hamstring injury. In May, Raonic advanced to his second final of the season, losing toMarin Čilić inIstanbul.[185] He lost in the fourth round of theFrench Open toPablo Carreño Busta in a five-set marathon.[186] AtWimbledon, he made it to the quarterfinals but was defeated byRoger Federer in straight sets.[187] After his run at Wimbledon, he only played two more tournaments, losing in the quarterfinals inWashington, D.C. toJack Sock and in the second round inMontreal toAdrian Mannarino. He then had to withdraw from various tournaments, including theUS Open, due to injury. Raonic returned in October at theJapan Open but had to retire in his second round match againstYūichi Sugita again with an injury. Although he reached two finals in 2017, it was the first time since 2011 that he failed to win at least one title.[188]
After ending his 2017 season early, Raonic dropped to No. 24. He began his season at theBrisbane International as the fourth seed. He lost in the second round toAlex de Minaur in straight sets.[189] Raonic then went on to compete at the2018 Australian Open, where he lost in the opening round toLukáš Lacko in four sets. This was Raonic's second time overall that he lost in the first round of a Grand Slam and the first time since the2011 French Open. This also meant that he would fall out of the top 30 for the first time since February 2011.[190]
Raonic's next tournament was theDelray Beach Open. He easily beatTaro Daniel in the first round but went on to lose toSteve Johnson in straight sets in the next round.[191] AtIndian Wells, Raonic reached his first Masters 1000 semifinal since November 2016 inParis with wins over compatriotFélix Auger-Aliassime,João Sousa,Marcos Baghdatis by walkover andSam Querrey, respectively in the first rounds. He was defeated byJuan Martín del Potro in straight sets.[192] The next week at theMiami Open, Raonic advanced to the quarterfinals but lost for the second week in a row to del Potro, this time in three close sets.[193] He did not compete at theFrench Open because of a knee injury.[194] In June at theStuttgart Open, he advanced to his first final in over a year, but was defeated by world No. 2Roger Federer.[195]
AtWimbledon, he advanced to the quarterfinals, but lost toJohn Isner.[196]
Raonic was seeded 16th at the2019 Australian Open. He defeatedNick Kyrgios in the first round in straight sets and narrowly defeated 2014 championStan Wawrinka in four close tiebreak sets in the second round. In the third, he defeatedPierre-Hugues Herbert. In the fourth round, he faced fourth seedAlexander Zverev. He started the match dominantly, winning 12 of the first 14 games to take a two-set lead. Zverev played a competitive third set, but Raonic ultimately won in a tiebreak. In the quarterfinals, he lost to 28th seedLucas Pouille in four sets.
He announced his split with coachGoran Ivanišević, and will now be coached by French former ATP playerFabrice Santoro.[197]
Raonic started his 2020 at theQatar Open in Doha where he was seeded 4th. However, in his first match he lost toCorentin Moutet in straight sets.[198] Raonic then participated in2020 Australian Open, where he defeatedLorenzo Giustino,Cristian Garín,Stefanos Tsitsipas andMarin Čilić before losing toNovak Djokovic at the quarter-final stage in straight sets.[199] In February 2020, Raonic participated inNew York Open where he was seeded second, but he lost toSoonwoo Kwon in his first match at the tournament.[200] Days later, he took part inDelray Beach Open and defeatedDenis Istomin,Cedrik-Marcel Stebe,Steve Johnson before losing his semi-final match toReilly Opelka.[201]
Raonic found form at the2020 Cincinnati Masters, where he defeatedSam Querrey,Daniel Evans, and a resurgentAndy Murray, all in straight sets. In the quarterfinal stage, he recovered from a set and a break down, and saved a match point to defeatFilip Krajinović in their quarterfinal encounter. He defeated 4th seedStefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets to reach his fourthMasters 1000 final. He lost toNovak Djokovic in 3 sets in the final.At theUS Open, he lost in the second round to countryman,Vasek Pospisil.
After a semifinal appearance at theSt. Petersburg Open, Raonic would end his year with another semifinal appearance at theParis Masters where he lost to 3rd seed and eventual championDaniil Medvedev in straight sets.
Raonic opened his 2021 campaign at the2021 ATP Cup representing team Canada alongside countrymenDenis Shapovalov,Steven Diez andPeter Polansky. Canada was drawn into a round robin group with teamsSerbia andGermany, and Raonic was penciled in as the number 2 player. In the first tie against team Serbia, Raonic won his singles match in straight sets overDušan Lajović. Partnering with Shapovalov in the deciding doubles match, they were unable to get the win and thus lost the tie 2–1. In the second tie, versus team Germany, Raonic lost his singles match againstJan-Lennard Struff in two tiebreaker sets, and after Shapovalov lost his match against Zverev, Canada was officially eliminated from the tournament.At the2021 Australian Open, he lost in the fourth round to eventual championNovak Djokovic.
Raonic struggled with calf and right leg injuries for most of the year. After losing in the fourth round at the2021 Miami Masters to eventual championHubert Hurkacz in three sets, he took a hiatus that lasted for three months and returned at the2021 Atlanta Open in July. As the top seed, he lost in his opening match against eventual finalistBrandon Nakashima in three sets. After the loss, he took another hiatus due to his injuries.
According to his coach Mario Tudor, Raonic planned on returning to the tour in 2023.[202][203] In May, news came that he would participate in the grass court season.[204][205][206]In June, he entered the2023 Libéma Open using his protected ranking and won his first match back, defeating fifth seedMiomir Kecmanović in straight sets.[207][208][209]He won his first Major match since 2021 at the2023 Wimbledon Championships defeatingDennis Novak.[210] He lost toTommy Paul in the second round. As a result, he moved more than 300 positions up, close to the top 500 in the rankings.He stated that this might be his last Wimbledon. He further added he expected to play theCanadian Open in Toronto[211] and then theUS Open before retiring.[212] InCanada, he reached the third round, losing toMackenzie McDonald.[213] In November 2023, Raonic competed forCanada at theDavis Cup for the first time since 2018.[214] He beat Patrick Kaukovalta in straight sets, but Canada ultimately lost to Finland who progressed to the semifinals of the tournament.[215]
In January 2024, Raonic returned to theAustralian Open using protected ranking, where his first round match was against home favouriteAlex de Minaur. Raonic took the first set and de Minaur took the second. In the third set de Minaur had secured a break when Raonic retired from the game with a leg injury.[216]
In February 2024, Raonic was scheduled to play forCanada again at theDavis Cup qualifiers versus South Korea[217] but did not participate.He returned to the top 200 at world No. 197 on 18 March 2024.
In the beginning of the grass court season, again using protected ranking, he reached his second quarterfinal of the season at the2024 Libéma Open in's-Hertogenbosch (afterRotterdam) defeating eight seedJordan Thompson andRoberto Bautista Agut. Next he entered the2024 Queen's Club Championships and defeated local favoriteCameron Norrie in three tight sets, hitting 47 aces, a new record for a best-of-three match (surpassing Karlovic in 2015 with 45).[218][219] As a result he moved into the top 155 in the ATP singles rankings on 1 July 2024.
Raonic represented Canada at the2024 Paris Olympics where he was defeated byDominik Koepfer of Germany in the first round.[220] Raonic was then scheduled to play in Montreal at theCanadian Open but withdrew due to a shoulder injury which ended his season.[221]
Early in his career, Raonic was questioned about whether he would follow the example of Rusedski, the last prominent Canadian tennis player, who decided to represent Great Britain instead.[222] Raonic declared that he would play for Canada.[21]
Raonic embraced his role as Canada's top singles player, intent on growing the game in Canada. He stated in 2010: "I want to make a difference in Canada with [my career]. I feel if I were to achieve my goals it could make a great difference to the growth of tennis in Canada and help to produce more top players in the future."[223] Before a Davis Cup tie with Japan in 2015, he said: "I'm here because I want to be here. I don't have anybody telling me I need to be here. I want to succeed at this event, and I want to succeed representing Canada."[224]
From 2010 to 2016,Canada competed in 16Davis Cup ties. Raonic represented Canada in 11 of those ties, missing five due to injury:Ecuador in2011,[225]Japan in2014,[226]Belgium in2015,[142] andFrance andChile in 2016.[161][174] Overall, Raonic has 16 match wins in 22 Davis Cup matches (14–5 in singles; 2–1 in doubles). He is one of the most successful players in Canadian Davis Cup history, tied for sixth in match wins overall and for third in singles match wins.[227][228]
Raonic made his Davis Cup debut in Bogotá againstColombia in2010 at the age of 19. Raonic lost both of his singles matches (againstSantiago Giraldo andJuan Sebastián Cabal), but won his doubles match partnered with Nestor, who was then the top ranked doubles player in the world.[229][230] His first singles match victory came in Canada's next tie against theDominican Republic, when he beatVíctor Estrella Burgos in five sets. This marked the first five set match of Raonic's career.[231] Competing againstMexico in2011, Raonic won threerubbers in a tie for the first time, beating bothManuel Sánchez andDaniel Garza in singles and partnering with Pospisil to win in doubles as well.[228][232]
In the2013 Davis Cup World Group first round, Raonic won singles rubbers over Ramos Viñolas andGuillermo García López to lead Canada over top-seededSpain.[233] He repeated this feat with victories overFabio Fognini and Seppi to help Canada defeatItaly in the quarterfinals, sending Canada into the Davis Cup semifinals for the first time since 1913.[234][a] In the semifinal againstSerbia, Raonic won his singles match over Tipsarević, but lost to No. 1 Djokovic as Canada was eliminated.[236] The defeat marked Raonic's first singles match against Djokovic.[110]
Raonicrepresented Canada at theLondon 2012 Olympics and competed in thesingles competition as an unseeded player. He won his first-round match over Japan'sTatsuma Ito in straight sets.[237] In the second round, Raonic lost to French player Tsonga 3–6, 6–3, 23–25, breakingthree Olympic tennis records. The match holds the records for the most games played in a best-of-three sets match (66 games) and the most games played in a single set (48 games) in Olympic history.[238] At the time, it was the longest Olympic match by time played (3 hours 57 minutes),[239] but this record was broken three days later in the semifinal match between Federer and del Potro (4 hours 26 minutes).[240]
Raonic decided not to play in the2016 Summer Olympics, citing health concerns and theZika virus.[241]
In 2014, Raonic partnered with Bouchard to representCanada in theHopman Cup. Raonic won two of three singles matches, and paired with Bouchard to win two of three doubles matches. Canada finished in second place in their pool—behind top-seededPoland—and were eliminated.[242]
The most distinctive part of Raonic's game is his powerful and accurateserve,[10][73] from which his "Missile" nickname is derived.[157][243] He is frequently cited as having one of the best serves among his contemporaries, along with Karlović and Isner.[9][10][11][12] Some consider Raonic's serve to be among the best of all time.[244][245][246] Sampras, Raonic's childhood idol, describes the Canadian's serve as "bigger than big."[247] After a match against Raonic, Djokovic commented "I can't recall the last time I was feeling so helpless returning. Even his second serve."[73] Women's tennis playerSerena Williams has said that "If she could take one thing from another player, it would be Milos Raonic's serve."[248] Statistically, Raonic is among the strongest servers in the Open Era, winning 91% of service games to rank third all-time.[249] Raonic has one of thefastest recorded serves of all time.[250]
Aided by his serve, Raonic employs anall-court style[251] with an emphasis on short points. Hisgroundstrokes are both good,[251] but hisforehand is stronger than hisbackhand.[252][253] Because of this, he has been known to run around his backhand and hitinside-out forehands instead.[254][255] He attempts to dictate play and is generally more aggressive than his opponent, as evidenced by usually having morewinners and moreunforced errors.[93][256] To finish points quickly, Raonic occasionally approaches the net, with either aserve and volley orchip and charge strategy.[257][258]
Raonic prefers playing onhard courts,[14][259] where he has been more successful than onclay orgrass courts.[260] All but two of the tournaments where Raonic has reached the final have been played on hard courts,[261] and all but three of his victories over top 10 players have been on hard courts as well.[83]
When he was twenty, theNational Post described Raonic as a "hothead whose on-court demeanour was holding him back."[66] As he grew older, commentators came to see him as "stoic", "robotic", and "emotionless",[262][263][264][265] withThe Daily Telegraph referring to him as "an analytical character who questions everything he does in practice".[266] In 2014, Raonic explained: "I'm the son of two engineers, so everything is a numbers and calculation game."[267] In 2016, he added: "I am very systematic in how [I] need to go about things to bring out the best tennis for myself, and maybe that comes off as mechanical and robotic and those kind of things, but I don't know if I'd ever change that because I feel that's the way I get the best out of myself when it comes to my tennis."[268]
Aspects of Raonic's game which have been criticized include his return of serve,[269][270] quickness and mobility,[271] backhand,[13] short game,[13] and the use of backspin or sidespin.[2] His above-average height—196 cm (6 ft 5 in)—is linked to his strong serve, but is said to limit his movement around the court.[2][272]
_(14424618452).jpg)
Raonic endorses theWilson BLX Blade 98 18x20tennis racket, and uses LUXILON M2 Pro 1.25 16Lstrings.[273][274] In January 2013, Raonic became the first tennis player to endorseNew Balance clothing and shoes, in a deal reported to be worth "US$1 million annually over a five-year term."[275][276] Roughly two and a half years later, this deal was extended "for the length of [Raonic's] career and beyond,"[277] and stipulates that New Balance will increase its support of the Milos Raonic Foundation.[278] The lifelong nature of this contract was described by Tennis Canada as "unique."[277]
Since March 2014, Raonic has donned a sleeve on his right arm while playing.[279][280] At first, he wore a fisherman's sleeve to cover a rash he had due to an allergic reaction to massage cream. This was replaced with an athletic compression sleeve, often colour-coordinated with his on-court apparel. The sleeve is worn for comfort, and wearing it became a habit for Raonic.[279] The sleeve has become a distinctive part of Raonic's image, and has spawned a Twitter account.[281] The motto "Believe in the Sleeve" has become synonymous with Raonic in the media and among Raonic's fans.[271][282][283] Serena Williams described the sleeve as "super cool and different."[284]
Raonic is represented by CAA Sports, a division ofCreative Artists Agency.[275] His other sponsorship deals includeAviva (insurance),[285]Canada Goose (apparel),[286]Commerce Court (real estate),[287]Lacoste (apparel),[288][289]Rolex (watches),[289]SAP (software),[290] and Zepp (sports metrics).[291]
Raonic holds a combined 9–36 record against theBig Four,[61] including 0–12 against Djokovic,[110] 2–7 against Nadal,[59] 3–11 against Federer,[87] and 4–9 against Murray.[292]
Each of Raonic's deepest runs in significant tournaments (i.e. majors and ATP 1000 tournaments) has ended with a loss to a member of the Big Four: Nadal in the 2013 Canadian Open final,[103] Federer in the 2014 Wimbledon semifinal,[116] Djokovic in the 2014 Paris Masters final,[126] Murray in the 2016 Australian Open semifinal, Djokovic in the 2016 Indian Wells Masters final,[160] Murray in the 2016 Wimbledon final,[170] and Murray in the semifinals of the 2016 ATP World Tour Finals. At majors, Raonic has a 1–8 record against the Big Four, losing the first five matches in straight sets.[293] He has met only one of the four in Davis Cup play: he lost to Djokovic in the2013 semifinals.[228]
Raonic's most frequent opponent, either inside or outside the Big Four, is Federer (14 matches).[51][87][292] His first victory over Federer in the 2014 Paris Masters quarterfinal was hailed as "a career-defining win."[123] His second victory over Federer—at the 2016 Brisbane International—was his first in a final against the Big Four.[61] A third victory over Federer—in the 2016 Wimbledon semifinal—marked Raonic's first victory at a Grand Slam tournament against the Big Four.[169][293] Raonic referred to his match against Murray at the 2016 ATP World Tour Finals as "the best match [he's] ever competed in."[180]
Kei Nishikori is often cited as Raonic's primary rival.[294][295][296][297] The two have very different strengths; according toThe Globe and Mail, Raonic uses his "size and his serve", while Nishikori uses his "savvy and speed."[295] Both are the first from their respective countries to achieve a top 10 ranking,[295] and both have a career-high ranking inside the top 4.[25][298] In May 2015, they were the two youngest players in the top 10.[294] Nishikori holds a 5–2 advantage in seven close matches, including two wins in theJapan Open final (2012, 2014). Of the twenty-five sets they have played, ten have required a tiebreak. Only one of their matches has been a straight sets victory. Five matches have required the maximum number of sets.[132] One of these was a marathon US Open five-set match that equalled the record for latest finish ever at 2:26 a.m.[121]
Nishikori and Raonic are among a group of players whom tennis pundits suggest could be the successors of the Big Four. The members of this group vary, but have includedGrigor Dimitrov,Ernests Gulbis,Marin Čilić, andDominic Thiem.[73][299][300][301][302] Raonic holds a positive record against Gulbis and Thiem, having won on all six combined occasions,[303][304] but has a negative record against Čilić and Dimitrov, having lost four matches to the latter in six meetings, including one walkover.[305][306]
Pospisil is more of a contemporary rather than a rival of Raonic. Owing to their similarity in age—Pospisil is six months older[307]—and the fact that both are successful products of Tennis Canada's development programs,[308] they have been linked as the leaders of a new generation of Canadian tennis players.[244][307][308][309][310] They partnered in doubles frequently early in their careers, winning doubles titles together in junior and ATP Challenger events.[14][39] Between 2011 and 2015, Raonic and Pospisil have been the two top-ranked Canadian men in year-end rankings.[b] As well as four ATP Challenger and Futures matches, they have played each other in two ATP World Tour matches:[312] Raonic beat Pospisil in the first all-Canadian semifinal at an ATP 1000 tournament,[101] and in the first all-Canadian final in ATP history.[118] They are frequent Davis Cup teammates,[227] and they planned to play doubles together at the2016 Rio Olympics until Raonic withdrew.[313][314]
Raonic is often compared to Isner and Karlović.[272][315][316] The trio possess statistically dominant serves, leading the ATP in service games won and in aces per match in the period between 2012 and 2018.[317][318] They have played each other infrequently, however. Raonic is 1–1 against Karlović[319] and 1–5 against Isner.[320] Karlović holds a 3–2 head-to-head advantage over Isner.[321]
| Ivo Karlović | John Isner | Milos Raonic | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % or # | ATP Rank | % or # | ATP Rank | % or # | ATP Rank | ||
| Service games won[318] | 2012 | 87% | 5th | 92% | 2nd | 93% | 1st |
| 2013 | 91% | 2nd | 90% | 3rd | 91% | 1st | |
| 2014 | 93% | 2nd | 93% | 1st | 90% | 4th | |
| 2015 | 96% | 1st | 93% | 3rd | 94% | 2nd | |
| 2016 | 93% | 2nd | 93% | 1st | 91% | 3rd | |
| 2017 | 93% | n/a | 93% | 1st | 90% | n/a | |
| 2018 | 93% | n/a | 94% | 1st | 91% | 3rd | |
| 2019 | 83% | n/a | 94% | 1st | 81% | n/a | |
| 2020 | |||||||
| Career | 92.08% | 1st | 91.79% | 2nd | 91.02% | 3rd | |
| Aces per match[317] | 2012 | 15.3 | 3rd | 16.8 | 1st | 16.2 | 2nd |
| 2013 | 17.3 | 1st | 16.3 | 2nd | 14.7 | 3rd | |
| 2014 | 18.5 | 1st | 17.4 | 2nd | 16.5 | 3rd | |
| 2015 | 23.0 | 1st | 18.5 | 2nd | 15.8 | 3rd | |
| 2016 | 20.9 | 2nd | 23.2 | 1st | 12.7 | 6th | |
| 2017 | 20.9 | 5th | 19.7 | 1st | 13.8 | 8th | |
| 2018 | 23.5 | 6th | 22.4 | 1st | 17.5 | 3rd | |
| 2019 | 23.7 | 8th | 21.5 | 1st | 19.4 | 4th | |
| 2020 | |||||||
| Career | 19.84 | 1st | 18.11 | 2nd | 15.39 | 12th | |
In 2011, while recovering from a hip injury sustained at Wimbledon, Raonic decided to become involved with philanthropic work, focusing on helping disadvantaged children.[322] The following year, in 2012, he launched the Milos Raonic Foundation,[323][324][325] which aims to "support children from disadvantaged backgrounds in order to remove economic, physical and other barriers that might prevent them from becoming healthy, productive members of society. ... In the initial stages of its work, the foundation will focus, in particular, on children with physical disabilities."[326] As of 2016, the foundation had awarded $120,000 in grants to theHolland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital,[326] and $30,000 to theCanadian Paralympic Committee.[326][327] Raonic and his parents are the three directors of the foundation,[323][324] which has partnered with ATP Aces for Charity.[325][328]
Several celebrity fundraising events have been held in conjunction with the foundation. On November 15, 2012, the inaugural "Raonic Race for Kids" was held, with multiple teams competing in quick physical and intellectual challenges. Teams were led by celebrities, includingCanadian Football Hall of Fame quarterbackDamon Allen and tennis playersEugenie Bouchard andDaniel Nestor.[329] The next night, a second "Face Off" event featured exhibition matches between Raonic andAndy Roddick, and betweenSerena Williams andAgnieszka Radwańska.[330] In November 2013, the second "Raonic Race for Kids" featuredDavis Cup captainMartin Laurendeau, musicianJim Cuddy, and broadcasterGeorge Stroumboulopoulos.[331] The third "Raonic Race for Kids" in November 2014 featured Tennis Canada CEOKelly Murumets, soccer playerDwayne De Rosario, and figure-skating championsPatrick Chan,Tessa Virtue, andScott Moir.[332]
In December 2020 it was announced that Raonic joined the High Impact Athletes,[333] an organization based on theeffective altruism movement where professional athletes pledge to donate at least 1% of its income to the most effective, evidence-based charities in the world.
| W | F | SF | QF | #R | RR | Q# | DNQ | A | NH |
Current through the2024 US Open.
| Tournament | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | SR | W–L | Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Open | A | 4R | 3R | 4R | 3R | QF | SF | QF | 1R | QF | QF | 4R | A | A | 1R | 0 / 12 | 34–12 | 74% |
| French Open | A | 1R | 3R | 3R | QF | A | 4R | 4R | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 6 | 14–6 | 70% |
| Wimbledon | A | 2R | 2R | 2R | SF | 3R | F | QF | QF | 4R | NH | A | A | 2R | A | 0 / 10 | 28–10 | 74% |
| US Open | 1R | A | 4R | 4R | 4R | 3R | 2R | A | 4R | A | 2R | A | A | 1R | A | 0 / 9 | 16–9 | 64% |
| Win–loss | 0–1 | 4–3 | 8–4 | 9–4 | 14–4 | 8–3 | 15–4 | 11–3 | 7–3 | 7–2 | 5–2 | 3–1 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 0 / 37 | 92–37 | 71% |
Note:Milos Raonic has not played doubles at any Grand Slam tournament.
| Result | Year | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 2016 | Wimbledon | Grass |  Andy Murray | 4–6, 6–7(3–7), 6–7(2–7) |
| Tournament | Time span | Record accomplished | Players matched |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pacific Coast Championships | 2011–2013[96][97] | 3 consecutive titles | Shared with Kei Nishikori |
| 3 consecutive finals | John McEnroe Pete Sampras Andre Agassi | ||
| Summer Olympics | 2012[238][239] | Most games played in a best-of-three sets match (66 games; Tsonga won 6–3, 3–6, 25–23) | Jo-Wilfried Tsonga |
| Most games played in a set (48 games; Tsonga won third set 25–23) | |||
| US Open | 2014[121] | Latest finish for a match: 2:26 a.m. (won byKei Nishikori 4–6, 7–6, 6–7, 7–5, 6–4) | Philipp Kohlschreiber andJohn Isner (2012) Mats Wilander and |
| ATP World Tour Finals | 2016[180] | Longest match: 3 hours and 38 minutes (won by Murray 5–7, 7–6(7–5), 7–6(11–9)) | Andy Murray |
| Queen's Club Championships | 2024[334] | Most aces served in a three-set match: 47 (Raonic won 6–7(6–8), 6–3, 7–6(11–9)) | Stands alone |
But, I mean, [Raonic's] serve, I think it's possibly the best in the game at the moment
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | US Open Series Champion 2014 | Succeeded by |
| Awards | ||
| Preceded by | ATP Newcomer of the Year 2011 | Succeeded by |
Association of Tennis Professionals Top Canadian male singles tennis players | |
|---|---|
As of Nov 23, 2025 | |
| |
|
.svg)
