Milos Raonic may not have played a lot of tennis over the past few years, but that doesn’t mean that his impact on the sport, especially in Canada, has been forgotten.
His incredible legacy was thrust into the spotlight after announcing his retirement on social media on the eve of Australian Open qualifying getting underway in Melbourne. He crafted a message that was thoughtful and eloquent, staying true to the reputation he built for himself throughout his career. His words elicited reactions from across the tennis and Canadian sport landscapes.
His fellow Canadian tennis players were among the most vocal with Félix Auger-Aliassime, Denis Shapovalov, Gabriel Diallo, Alexis Galarneau, Bianca Andreescu, Rebecca Marino, Carol Zhao, and fellow retiree Vasek Pospisil all paying tribute. He is a trailblazer and they show us why.
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Celebrities like Vera Wang, Steve Nash, and Jose Bautista shared their congratulations and well wishes.
The ATP, the ITF, and the Grand Slams also paid tribute to the former world no. 3 and his contributions to the sport. Many Canadian media members who covered Raonic’s career shared some of their favourite stories and TSN even brought back the famous Seinfeld-inspired ‘Another game for Milos’ video for the occasion.
All told, it was a fitting sendoff for a player who propelled tennis in Canada to new heights and who inspired so many to follow in his footsteps.
Photo by: Peter Power
