Raonic feels the love ahead of long-awaited Wimbledon return

LONDON – Milos Raonic will need to wait one more day to make his long-awaited return to Wimbledon.

Persistent rain washed out almost all of the scheduled first-round matches on Tuesday. Raonic hasn't played at the All England Club since 2019. 

"It is nice to be here," the 32-year-old told TSN. "It's nice that things have changed quite a bit, so it doesn't feel as emotional. You don't enter through the same gates. You enter through the other side now. So, you're getting caught up on the newness, but then once you step on the courts you get that nostalgia, which is always a great feeling."

Raonic made history here in 2016 when he beat Roger Federer en route to becoming the first Canadian man to reach a Grand Slam singles final. He also made the semifinals in 2014 and advanced to the quarter-finals in 2017 and 2018.  

"I've had my best success here," said Raonic, who returned to the ATP Tour last month after a nearly two-year absence. "I've had a lot of great moments here."

When Raonic decided to mount a comeback following an injury-plagued stretch, he had Wimbledon in mind. He wanted to play the event again. And, now that he's back, Raonic is doing his best to live in the present. 

"You kind of get lost in it by wanting to be ready to play your first match," he said. "You get caught up with all that pretty quickly. You don't always get a chance to appreciate the significance and the emotion of it all ... You take certain parts of it a bit for granted, but it is nice to be here."

Raonic's career appeared to be over after an Achilles injury, the latest in a series of health issues, flared up midway through the 2021 season. He told those closest to him that he was ready to walk away from the sport.

"I thought he retired," said 2021 US Open finalist Leylah Annie Fernandez, who won her first-round match on Monday. "He wasn't playing and there was no update on if he was going to play, so I feel like we all just assumed he retired. When I saw him play his first match back and win, I was super happy."

Raonic defeated World No. 39 Miomir Kecmanovic at the Libema Open in the Netherlands on June 12. He lost in the second round against Jordan Thompson, who went on to make the final.

Raonic was supposed to play at London's Queen's Club the following week but withdrew due to a sore right shoulder. 

"Two years of not being able to replicate what a match is going to feel like with the tension," he explained. "I could’ve hit as many serves as I wanted to in those two years, and I don't think I could've replicated those kinds of feelings of just how badly you want to win and how that kind of takes over the body at some points. That just kind of caught up to me." 

Raonic isn't sure how long he'll keep playing. The two tournaments he circled were Wimbledon and the National Bank Open in his hometown of Toronto. He wanted a proper farewell.

"You kind of go through a lot of doubt and different things in such a long period of time off," Raonic said. "How are things going to feel? Will you have the same emotions to it as you're expecting? To get those kinds of things, they kind of come as a surprise ... You don't necessarily know how much you'll appreciate them until they happen and for that you're grateful." 

Raonic's return created a buzz in the Canadian tennis community and his compatriots have taken the opportunity to praise a trailblazer. 

"I remember when I was like 12, 13 watching him on TV and playing at the top level," Fernandez said. "I'm like, 'Wow, this is so inspiring.' It gave confidence to the young generation that it is possible."

"When I came on the tour he was like this big brother," said Felix Auger-Aliassime, 22, who reached the US Open semifinal in 2021. "Always a guy I like talking to and learning from." 

Raonic's career-high ranking of No. 3 remains a Canadian singles record. 

"He was one of my favourites growing up," said Bianca Andreescu, 23, who became Canada's first Grand Slam singles champion at the 2019 US Open. "Watching him play is incredible. His game also suits the grass, so I'm sure he can do big things here."

Raonic will open his 10th Wimbledon campaign against Austrian qualifier Dennis Novak, who he beat at Wimbledon in 2018. That showdown was also impacted by weather. 

"I remember a very difficult match," Raonic said of the four-set victory in the third round. "I remember there was a rain delay and the next day I came out much better. Tennis-strategy-wise, I don't really remember much about it, but I remember there was a big shift for me because of the stop overnight."

If Raonic gets past the 159th-ranked Novak, he could play No. 16 seed Tommy Paul in the second round. 

"When you have a serve like his you can make a run at any time," said ESPN analyst Rennae Stubbs, "particularly on grass and particularly when the grass is green like this, and it gets you a lot of free points. Physically, he's going to struggle over five sets. Can he get through a tough, three-, four-, five-set match? If he can, he's always dangerous."

Raonic, who hasn't played a best-of-five match since the 2021 Australian Open, isn't interested in talking about expectations. 

"One day at a time," he stressed. "I got to do my best and see where I'm at." 

Denis Shapovalov, who reached the 2021 Wimbledon semifinals, recalls being impressed by Raonic’s businesslike approach when he was coming up in the tennis world. 

"He was always very composed," Shapovalov, 24, said. "He did a really good job of taking his game to players, focusing on his serves and changing the rhythm on his serves. Honestly, I just remember how calm he was able to stay and fight through matches."

That ability to remain composed should be an asset as Raonic navigates this London return. And while he remains focused on the task at hand, Raonic acknowledges the words of support and positive message have resonated. 

"It means a lot," he said. "It means a lot and makes the moment a lot more enjoyable."