Milos Raonic – Big Serve, Wimbledon Final and Canadian Tennis Trailblazer

Before Felix Auger-Aliassime. Before Victoria Mboko. Before Canada became a tennis powerhouse, there was Milos Raonic.

He arrived on the ATP tour in 2011 as a 20 year old qualifier from Thornhill, Ontario, with a serve that touched 155 mph and a quiet determination to put Canadian tennis on the world map. What followed was a career that broke every significant record a Canadian male tennis player had ever set, opened doors that had never been opened before, and built the foundation that the current golden generation of Canadian tennis stands on today.

Raonic retired after the 2024 Paris Olympics as the highest ranked Canadian tennis player in history, the only Canadian man to reach a Grand Slam final in the Open Era, and the owner of 8,445 career aces. History in Canadian tennis is divided into two eras. Before Milos and after Milos.

Quick Facts:

Milos Raonic at the Canadian Open

For Milos Raonic, the Canadian Open was always one of the most emotionally significant tournaments on his calendar. Competing at home, in front of Canadian fans who understood exactly what he was building for tennis in this country, brought out some of his most determined performances across his career.

His connection to this tournament runs deep. The National Training Centre at Jarry Park in Montreal, the same complex that sits adjacent to IGA Stadium, was where Raonic developed his game under Tennis Canada coaches in the early years of his professional career. In many ways, the Canadian Open was not just his home tournament. It was the place where his tennis journey truly began.

What made Raonic particularly dangerous at the Canadian Open:

• His serve, which regularly topped 155 mph, was one of the most effective weapons on the outdoor hard courts in Montreal and Toronto
• His serve and volley approach on key points created problems that most hard court baseline players struggled to solve
• His ability to hold serve under pressure meant opponents knew they had to break him to win, a task that proved extremely difficult even for the world’s best returners
• The home crowd energy at IGA Stadium and Sobeys Stadium always lifted his performance in tight moments

Raonic reached the Canadian Open final in 2013 in Montreal, the greatest result of his home tournament career. That run also marked the moment he entered the ATP top 10 for the first time, making it one of the most significant weeks in the history of Canadian tennis.

Canadian Open Results

Milos Raonic competed at the Canadian Open across multiple editions throughout his career, with his 2013 Montreal run standing as the highlight of his home tournament record.

Key observations from his Canadian Open record:

• Raonic reached the Canadian Open final in 2013, becoming the first Canadian man in the Open Era to reach the final of his home Masters 1000 event
• His 2013 final run coincided with his first entry into the ATP top 10, making it one of the most significant weeks in Canadian tennis history
• His 2023 third round appearance was a remarkable achievement given he had been away from the tour for nearly two years due to injury
• His Canadian Open record reflects both the highs of his peak years and the frustrations of an injury disrupted later career

Best Canadian Open Performances

Among his Canadian Open appearances, one performance stands clearly above the rest as the defining moment of his home tournament career.

2013 Montreal – First Canadian Man to Reach the Final:

Raonic’s 2013 Canadian Open run was a watershed moment for Canadian tennis. Defeating a series of high quality opponents to reach the final of his home Masters 1000 event, he became the first Canadian man in the Open Era to reach the Canadian Open final.

The significance of that achievement went far beyond a single tournament result. In reaching the final, Raonic entered the ATP top 10 for the first time, becoming the first Canadian man to achieve that milestone. The home crowd at IGA Stadium witnessed history being made in real time, and the reaction from Canadian tennis fans across the country reflected exactly how much that moment meant to the sport in Canada.

He lost the final to Rafael Nadal but the manner of his run through the draw demonstrated that he belonged among the very best players in the world.

2023 Toronto – Comeback That Inspired Canadian Tennis:

After missing nearly two years of competitive tennis due to injury, Raonic returned to the Canadian Open in 2023 and reached the third round in Toronto. For a player who had been away from the tour for so long, competing at a Masters 1000 event and winning matches against professional opponents was itself a remarkable achievement.

Career Canadian Open performance summary:

Titles and Records

Milos Raonic built a career record that placed him as the most successful Canadian male tennis player in the history of the Open Era, breaking records that had stood for decades and setting standards that inspired the generation that followed him.

Career title breakdown:

Key career records and milestones:

• Reached a career high ranking of world No. 3 in November 2016, the highest ranking ever achieved by a Canadian tennis player, male or female, at the time
• First Canadian man in the Open Era to reach a Grand Slam singles final, at Wimbledon 2016
• First Canadian man to enter the ATP top 10
• First Canadian man to qualify for the ATP Finals in singles
• First Canadian man to reach the semifinal of a Grand Slam at Wimbledon 2014
• Won 8 ATP singles titles, a Canadian men’s record later tied by Felix Auger-Aliassime in 2025
• Amassed 8,445 career aces, placing him ninth on the ATP all time list
• Set the all time ATP record for aces in a best of three set match with 47 against Cameron Norrie at Queen’s Club in 2024
• Won over 91 percent of his service games across his career
• Named ATP Newcomer of the Year in 2011

Latest Canadian Open Appearances

Milos Raonic’s later career Canadian Open appearances told the story of a player fighting against his own body to stay competitive at the highest level of professional tennis.

After missing nearly two years of competitive tennis between July 2021 and June 2023 due to persistent injury problems, Raonic made a remarkable return to the Canadian Open in Toronto in 2023, winning matches and reaching the third round before losing to Mackenzie McDonald.

Recent Canadian Open appearances:

His 2024 withdrawal from the Canadian Open in Montreal came after a season where he had shown flashes of his old serve quality, most notably his record setting 47 ace performance at Queen’s Club in June 2024. However his body would not allow him to sustain the physical demands of competing at Masters 1000 level consistently.

Raonic’s final competitive match came at the 2024 Paris Olympics, a first round loss to Dominik Koepfer, after which he stepped away from professional tennis permanently. He retired having more career victories than all other Canadian male singles tennis players in ATP history combined, a statistic that captures better than any other just how far ahead of his time he was for Canadian tennis.

For a complete look at Canadian players who have competed at the Canadian Open across its history, explore our full Canadian Open players guide.

Conclusion

Milos Raonic did not just play tennis for Canada. He built something for Canada. Every first he achieved, first Canadian in the ATP top 10, first Canadian man in a Grand Slam final, first Canadian to qualify for the ATP Finals, was not just a personal milestone. It was proof of concept for an entire nation that Canadian tennis could compete at the very highest level of the sport.

The players who followed him, FAA, Shapovalov, Fernandez, Mboko, inherited a landscape that Raonic spent his career creating. That legacy matters more than any trophy count.

To follow the next generation of Canadian players at the Canadian Open, explore our full Canadian Open players guide for entry list updates and tournament news.