How 2 years away from tennis taught Milos Raonic to enjoy the present
CBC
For 14 months after suffering an Achilles and toe injuries, Milos Raonic did not hit a single tennis ball.
Instead, for the first time since he was eight, the Thornhill, Ont., native explored the world outside of tennis.
He took classes and read books. He spoke to retired athletes about life after sports. He spent time with his family after being separated during the pandemic. Last April, he married longtime partner Camille Ringoir — the two of them now live together in the Bahamas.
Finally, after two years away from the ATP Tour, Raonic, 32, returned for June's Libema Open, a grass-court tournament that serves as a Wimbledon tuneup.
Over Raonic's career, which includes eight titles and a memorable run to the 2016 Wimbledon final, the towering six-foot-five Canadian became known for his over-powering serve.
And so of course, in his first service game of his first match back, Raonic made four double-faults.
"It was nerve-wracking. I really wish I could have enjoyed it more," Raonic told CBC Sports. "I'm not the kind of person that is very good at slowing down and enjoying the moment. I'm always like, 'What's next, what's next, what's next?'"
Raonic would only commit three-double faults the rest of the match en route to a straight-sets victory over 39th-ranked Miomir Kecmanović. He was eliminated in the second round before lasting two rounds at Wimbledon, the site of his greatest triumph, as well.
WATCH | Raonic wins 1st match back:
His next tournament is the National Bank Open in Toronto, which begins Monday. He also intends to suit up for the U.S. Open at the end of August.
But Raonic hasn't planned beyond that. Two years away from tennis taught him to enjoy the present.
"Since I had a few weeks since then," Raonic said, looking back on those first four matches, "I have to say I was very happy through it all and I was very in tune through it all and able to be at a pace, a goal, with an objective that I really enjoyed despite what in the moment might feel like stresses or frustrations.
"It's all positive things when you can look at it as a whole."
Raonic's last match prior to the Libema Open was a three-set loss to 115th-ranked Brandon Nakashima at a low-level Atlanta tournament in July 2021 — a contest that itself was his first in four months.
