Return of 'The Missile': Raonic rejuvenated after 2-year ATP Tour absence

Andy Murray knows what Milos Raonic is capable of when the big-serving Canadian is at the peak of his powers.

The three-time Grand Slam champion took on Raonic six times in 2016; back then, Raonic trailed only Murray and Novak Djokovic in the year-end rankings. While Murray prevailed each time, the Scot had to summon his best effort several times.

They went the distance in the Australian Open semis, with the former World No. 1 taking the last two sets to secure his spot in the final.

Several months later, Murray had another comeback win against Raonic, overcoming a 7-6, 3-0 deficit in the Queen's Club final. Their semifinal clash at the season-ending ATP Finals followed a similar script: Murray saved a match point and rallied for a thrilling three-set win.

"He was always very dangerous," Murray told theScore at the National Bank Open in Toronto in August. "He always had the potential to cause an upset or have big runs because of the nature of his game. He takes the racket out of your hand a lot of the time."

Murray added: "It's been tough to win the major events in that (Big Three) era because of the guys that were above him. You didn't just have to win against one guy. You had to win against multiple to win those big events. It's not easy. But he was always right there."

Injuries have taken their toll on Raonic since that career-best 2016 campaign. The Thornhill, Ontario, native has missed each major at least twice over the last seven years, including six consecutive French Opens.

Before Raonic returned to the ATP Tour last June, he hadn't played on the men's circuit for almost two years.

Raonic competed in only 12 matches in 2021 due to calf and right leg injuries. A near-four-month absence preceded his last match that season, which saw him fall to Brandon Nakashima at the Atlanta Open during the summer hard-court swing.

Little did Raonic know that three-set tilt would be his last one for a while.

"At first, we thought the US Open was a real possible thing," Raonic told theScore. "We did some treatments right after that match in Atlanta. We kind of looked deeper into what the issue might be, and through the US Open, I was in a walking boot."

Raonic added: "Once you heard there was issues with (an) Achilles (tendon), you kind of know that it's always a difficult thing."

Life after tennis

His body needed some rest from the tour's wear and tear. The former Wimbledon finalist didn't pick up a racket for about 14-15 months.

Raonic got a taste of life after tennis during his time away from the game. The 32-year-old took some university courses, started playing golf, read books, and got married to his longtime partner. He found an identity beyond the sport; the thought of retirement was no longer as daunting.

"Will I end up finding something I enjoy as much and have the same kind of passion and obsession with as I do with tennis? Having a good year-plus of no tennis whatsoever, I was able to kind of calm those fears," Raonic said.

Raonic would've been at peace with himself if he never took the court again. In fact, the eight-time ATP titlist even told his inner circle he was walking away from tennis. Many of his Canadian peers assumed he'd retired.

But the natural competitor within Raonic drew him back to the sport.

However, Raonic has had a few injury setbacks along the way. He missed two months after breaking his toe in May 2022 when a weight landed on his foot. Raonic then sustained a calf tear at the end of the year and subsequently contracted COVID-19, ruling out a potential return at the 2023 Australian Open.

One more shot

Still, Raonic remained committed to getting back on the circuit. He had an eye on Wimbledon and his hometown tournament in Toronto. But in order to give himself an honest shot at extending his career, Raonic knew something had to change.

Most of Raonic's injuries over the years have been in his lower body, on the same side where he underwent hip surgery more than a decade ago. In an effort to relieve pressure off his joints, he voluntarily went on a strict diet in January consisting of only one steak per day and water.

It was an extreme measure, one that Raonic doesn't recommend to anybody. Yet he lost 40 pounds in approximately four weeks and had more than enough time to rebuild the muscle he lost ahead of his season debut at the Libema Open.

"I didn't really speak to anybody before I came back," Raonic said. "There (were) a lot of moments where I was getting ready and I wasn't sure: A) If I would be able to, and B) If I kind of necessarily wanted to.

"So, I kind of just did my own thing and tried to come back as quietly as possible. Tried to do no interviews, no nothing about it. Just kind of make my decision purely for myself."

Raonic's perseverance immediately paid off. In June, he defeated then-World No. 39 Miomir Kecmanovic 6-3, 6-4 in his first ATP match since July 2021. The 6-foot-5 righty looked like his old self, firing 15 aces and dropping only three points on his first serve.

However, his next few matches didn't go as smoothly.

Raonic was hampered by a sore shoulder in his second-round loss to Jordan Thompson at the Libema Open. At Wimbledon, after beating Dennis Novak in his opening clash, the same issue flared up again and Raonic fell in four sets to No. 16 Tommy Paul.

Raonic arrived in Toronto early to give himself some extra time to prepare for the National Bank Open. His coach, Mario Tudor, organized practices with some of the tour's biggest hitters - Daniil Medvedev, Jannik Sinner, and Andrey Rublev - to help reacclimatize him to his peers' speed and intensity.

It worked: Raonic came away from those pre-tourney sessions feeling satisfied with how he measured up against a trio of top-10 players. Medvedev echoed that sentiment and said he was reminded of the Raonic he enjoyed watching as a teen.

"I think he has the same power like before. Very powerful. We know what he's capable of," the third-ranked Medvedev said. "Let's say it was not yet his best level, but in terms of shots, he has it."

But what happens on the practice court doesn't guarantee victories. Raonic got a tough draw, pitted against Frances Tiafoe in his first matchup on home soil in four years.

He started poorly against the young American star, dropping his opening service game and eventually losing a 26-point first-set tiebreaker (on a bizarre rule that needed to be clarified by the referee).

But Raonic is resilient; he fought again. With Tiafoe two points from the win, the Canadian battled back from down 0-30 and eventually took the second set in a tiebreak.

Known as "The Missile" for his booming serve, Raonic rode his weapon in the deciding set, tallying 17 of his 37 total aces. It was the second-most aces he's recorded in a best-of-three match and only two off his career high overall.

Four of Tiafoe's six break points in the third set were snuffed out by a Raonic ace, including three in Raonic's first service game.

Raonic maintained his composure against the World No. 10 at the most crucial moments, eventually winning 6-7 (12), 7-6 (4), 6-3. He said experiencing those pressure-packed moments was somewhat comforting.

"Nerves are a good thing," Raonic told reporters post-match. "It keeps you sharp. It keeps you anxious. It makes you want to work through things."

Raonic added: "There's a lot of things that make me nervous (about the sport). I think it's a good thing because I don't think I'd enjoy (tennis) if it didn't, because it just means that it means something to me."

Raonic had another vintage performance in the second round, recording 42 winners in a straight-sets win over Taro Daniel.

But two years away is still two years away.

Raonic looked very much like a player coming off an extended hiatus in a lackluster 6-3, 6-3 third-round loss to Mackenzie McDonald. The former World No. 3 went down an early break in each set and wasn't able to recover; several routine mistakes sealed his fate.

Overall, Raonic's week in Toronto was another step in the right direction, but his future plans after the US Open remain unclear. He reached out to former coach John McEnroe about being a captain's pick for the Laver Cup in Vancouver in late September, though he was ultimately left off Team World's final roster.

For the time being, Raonic feels reinvigorated to be back on the circuit and is appreciating whatever time he has left.

"I enjoy the preparation. There is a specific challenge. There is a specific thing to come up for and get ready. I really do enjoy that," he said following his Round of 16 defeat in Toronto. "I'm very competitive about everything. It's not tennis exclusively.

"So, having that kind of purposeful progress goes a long way with me and really gets me motivated."