Milos Raonic, the towering Canadian with one of the most feared serves in tennis history, announced his retirement from professional tennis on Monday at age 35.
Raonic made the announcement on social media, posting: “The time has come, I am retiring from tennis. This is a moment you know will come one day, but somehow you never feel ready for it. This is as ready as I will ever be. Tennis has been my love and obsession for most of my life. I have been the luckiest person to get to live out and fulfill my dreams.”
The 6-foot-5 right-hander had not played competitively for over a year, with his last appearance coming at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where he lost in the first round to Germany’s Dominik Koepfer. Injuries, particularly a shoulder issue in 2025 that did not heal sufficiently for a return, kept him off the tour and ultimately led to this decision.
Raonic turned pro in 2011 and quickly rose as a force on fast courts, relying on his massive serve—he once hit a record 47 aces in a three-set match at Queen’s Club in 2024—and powerful groundstrokes. He captured eight ATP Tour titles, with his breakthrough coming early in his career.
His peak arrived in 2016. That season, Raonic reached the semifinals at the Australian Open, defeated Roger Federer in the Wimbledon semifinals to become the first Canadian man to reach a Grand Slam final, and then fell to Andy Murray in the Wimbledon championship match in straight sets. He qualified for the ATP Finals and finished the year at a career-high No. 3 in the rankings.
Raonic reached four Masters 1000 finals—Montreal in 2013, Paris in 2014, Indian Wells in 2016, and Cincinnati in 2020—but lost each one, three to Novak Djokovic and one to Rafael Nadal. He also notched wins over three members of the Big Four: Federer, Nadal, and Murray.
Born in Titograd, Yugoslavia (now Podgorica, Montenegro), Raonic moved to Canada at age three and represented the country throughout his career. He became a trailblazer for Canadian men’s tennis, paving the way for others and earning praise from Tennis Canada CEO Gavin Ziv, who called him “quite simply one of the greatest athletes this country has ever seen.”
In his retirement post, Raonic reflected on the sport that defined him since he picked up a racket at age eight. He expressed gratitude to his coaches, family, team, and Canada for the support that allowed him to chase excellence daily.
He indicated no plans to slow down in his next chapter. “There is so much life ahead, and I am as motivated and hungry as I was in 2011 when I started on tour,” he wrote. “I will put the same effort and intensity into what comes next. If I can chase the same excellence I did in tennis, just trying to get better every day, we will see where it takes me.”
Raonic leaves behind a legacy as one of the most consistent big servers of his generation and a player who, despite persistent injury setbacks, delivered memorable moments against the sport’s all-time greats.
