Milos Raonic of Canada hits a ball to Mackenzie McDonald (not pictured) at Sobeys Stadium on Aug. 10.John E. Sokolowski/Reuters
As he was eliminated in the round of 16 at the National Bank Open on Thursday, Milos Raonic wasn’t ready to confirm if this had been the last appearance in his hometown event.
“It’s a long ways away,” said the 32-year-old veteran Canadian tennis player from nearby Thornhill, Ont., of the ATP’s Canadian tournament that rotates annually between Toronto and Montreal. “I’ve just got to keep looking forward and keep it short-term.”
He enjoyed a standing ovation from Toronto fans who were left wondering if they’d see him there again. On Thursday, for the first time at the tournament, Raonic looked like a guy just returning to tennis after a two-year injury hiatus.
After two inspiring wins this week in his first appearance since 2019 at Canada’s premier pro tournament, Raonic didn’t look sharp in a 6-3, 6-3 loss to Mackenzie McDonald.
Canada’s former world No. 3, who has been back on the ATP Tour less than two months, was stringing together a feel-good week as he toppled the tournament’s ninth-seeded player, Frances Tiafoe, in a three-set thriller, then Japanese qualifier Taro Daniel in straight sets.
But Raonic couldn’t find his two biggest weapons – his serve or his forehand – on Thursday and his run ended against the 28-year-old American, the world No. 59.
“I wish I could have been better on court today,” Raonic said. “But you can’t discredit what two years away does, right? From that intensity of playing and all these kinds of things.”
Raonic was a wild-card entry in Toronto. He had not played in his hometown since 2018, enjoyed a warm welcome from the crowd, and was finally playing in front of his family again. It’s not far from where he picked up the sport when he was 8, with his dad Dusan feeding the ball machine at the Blackmore Tennis Club in Richmond Hill.
Canadians were intrigued by the return of the 6-foot-5 former Wimbledon finalist, the man who blazed a trail for the current generation of Canadian players and who has made more than US$20-million in prize money. He went further than any other Canadian man in Toronto’s singles draw this week. But Thursday was a lacklustre close to what had been an exciting few days.
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Raonic had a 30-minute practice, in bright sunshine, on Centre Court an hour before Thursday’s match. By the time the Canadian re-emerged for the 12:30 p.m. match, the weather had changed. Grey clouds hovered over Sobeys Stadium, the wind was gusting, and a sneaky chill had spectators pulling on sweatshirts.
Both players looked uncomfortable in the wind. Neither could serve well. They played for just 20 minutes until the rain fell. The match was suspended with McDonald up 3-2 in the first set.
They waited in the wings for an hour and a half before resuming play. The sun returned, and so did McDonald’s serve, but Raonic didn’t look any more settled. Everything was going right for McDonald, who quickly seized the first set.
Raonic had rifled 52 aces in his first two matches, but on Thursday afternoon, his serve abandoned him. Much of what came off the Canadian’s racquet thwacked into the net. Even when Raonic’s serves did land, McDonald’s return game was on point and he missed very few first serves. Raonic looked over at his box while muttering in frustration.
Raonic managed nine aces, but suffered from unforced errors and tallied six double faults. McDonald ran off with it, advancing to his first quarter-final at a Masters 1000 event.
“It was a tough match, I think just some sloppy mistakes,” Raonic said. “I think I missed three forehands in that first game, and then you start off that way, he gets comfortable. And I didn’t have that same kind of speed on the serve that I needed to.”
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Raonic is now seven matches – four of those victories – into his return after the lengthy hiatus. The return has spanned an ATP 250 event in the Netherlands, then Wimbledon and Toronto. He hopes to play the U.S Open.
“If all things are well, I can get myself in the right position,” Raonic said. “I can get myself ready. I can produce a high level of tennis.”
Raonic went to Toronto ranked No. 545. This was the first time he’d won consecutive tour-level matches since making it to the fourth round of the 2021 ATP Masters 1000 event in Miami. The results this week will help catapult him up more than 200 spots.
“I think I can still play a very high level that isn’t very different from where I was,” he added. “I’ve just got to give myself a chance and take it one by one.”
Next up for McDonald is Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who battled back from a third-set deficit to beat third-seeded Casper Ruud of Norway 7-6 (4), 4-6, 7-6 (4).
Top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz of Spain was scheduled to play 15th-seeded Hubert Hurkacz of Poland in the evening feature match.
Second-seeded Daniil Medvedev of Russia booked a quarter-final spot with a 6-4, 6-4 win over 16th-seeded Italian Lorenzo Musetti.
In doubles play, wild-card entries Vasek Pospisil of Vernon, B.C., and Nicolas Mahut of France dropped a 6-2, 6-4 decision to the sixth-seeded German pair of Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz.
Play continues through Sunday at the US$7.62-million tournament.