Opinions and points of view can change in the course of life – often they even have to. A reflection on the home comeback of Milos Raonic at the ATP Masters tournament in Toronto.
by Stefan Bergman
last edited: 08/09/2023, 03:44 p.m
© Getty Images
After a difficult time, Milos Raonic is at peace with himself and his body again
On January 2, 2015, in a comment on the top ten list at the end of this season, I let myself be carried away to make a rather pretentious statement: “Even if I’d rather watch a housefly exploring my living room than Milos Raonic Playing tennis, the Canadian will also continue on his way.” My colleague at the time, Cristian Albrecht Barschel, also agreed with me in a commentary on the subject of “robot tennis”.
Even if the personal opinion of the native Montenegrin about the game system and the personality shown on the pitch has not changed much, I somehow regret the statement made today. Raonic has endured a difficult two years of injury and other crises, but showed fighting spirit and an unconditional love for his sport in the first round of his home tournament in Toronto against Frances Tiafoe.
Despite a bitterly and narrowly lost first set, the 32-year-old withdrew from the bedroullie and celebrated his first match success in the Aviva Center in five years with the local tennis fans. The small ATP media story, which sheds more light on Raonic’s return to the ATP Tour and gives interesting insights into the “backstage” area of the renowned tennis event, also led to further critical reflection on my statement at the time.
It shows Milos Raonic, whose emotional tension in his voice, his looks and gestures can be seen – quite subtle and therefore all the more sympathetic. “I feel very good again. I can go out again and push myself to the limit. It’s fun and I feel that it was worth it,” the 1.96m chicken ends in conversation. And I realize that I’m also happy to see him play again on the ATP tour. Tennis is more than just rallies on the court.
Here is the individual tableau from Toronto.
2023-08-09 13:30:00
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