Raonic Victorious In First Match In Nearly 2 Years In Den Bosch, Targets Wimbledon, Toronto

Milos Raonic is back!

The former Wimbledon finalist has been long gone off the tennis tour for almost two years, last playing in July 2021. But the Canadian returned today in Den Bosch and came out with a Raonic-like win, topping Miomir Kecmanovic 6-3, 6-4.

Now 32, Raonic pumped 15 aces and lost just three total points on first serve. He was broken once.

He spoke about his return.

“Many times I didn’t even want to bother trying, because I was so far away from it,” said Raonic after. “There were moments when I said, ‘I’m done’. At the end of 2021, I had no intention to play again, ‘I’m going to figure out my life’, shortly after I got married.

“One thing I did learn, which is a nice lesson, is life will be OK after tennis, which is kind of a fear because you put so much time into one thing and a singular skill. You don’t ever put the time into it thinking you want to dedicate your whole life to it,” he said. “It just becomes your life. Then trying to figure out what you want to dedicate your life to after tennis, that’s kind of a hard thing… I got on OK with that.

“It was very stressful at times,” Raonic went on. “I’ve played after injuries many times, when I‘ve missed three or four months, even I think after six months when I had my hip surgery when I was much younger, but two years is a whole different thing.

“Two years is a lot more turmoil in that sense, and just really stepping away from tennis at the end of 2021, and not really picking up a racquet for pretty much a full year, without hitting a single ball. To want to come back took a lot, and to want to make the most of it.

“I didn’t just want to come back and to be a player that I wouldn’t be proud of, so it took a lot of energy for me to put in. I’m happy I got to here and am very grateful that I can play.”

Raonic said this return might not last long.

“Wimbledon means the most to me, and I haven’t played it since 2019,” said Raonic. “I’ll play it one more time. I don’t know what will happen after that, but I’ll play it one more time. It’s also Toronto this year. I grew up 10 minutes from the stadium, that’s another one that’s important to me. I like the idea that I’ll play those at least one more time.”

Seventh-seeded Ugo Humbert advanced past Australia’s Jason Kubler in straight sets 6-4, 6-2.

Marc-Andrea Huesler upset fellow 26-year-old and No. 8 seed Maxime Cressy in straight sets 6-2, 7-6(7-2).

Rinky Hijikata sent off Gijs Brouwer of Netherlands 6-7(5-7), 6-3, 6-2.

Ahead Tuesday, key matches include home favorite and No. 6 seed Tallon Griekspoor testing Mikael Ymer, Ricardas Berankis faces Laslo Djere, David Goffin collides with Alexander Bublik and Brandon Nakashima gets Emil Ruusuvuori.