In honour of Milos Raonic’s age, here’s a 25-point list of the information that every tennis fan who is planning to tune into today’s Wimbledon final ought to know about the first time finalist from Canada. Raonic’s appearance in a Grand Slam final has been due for a couple years. On Sunday he meets Britain’s Andy Murray who is a favourite in this match.
But as we have seen in this tournament, anything can happen in tennis. All we can say with certainty is that if one of the world’s biggest servers and one of the game’s biggest returners both play their best tennis, then we are in for a scintillating match.
No matter what the outcome of the final is, it is likely to prove a watershed in the career of Milos Raonic. Therefore, it might be wise on our part to become familiar with the man and the player.
1. Raonic is 6 feet 5 inches tall, ranked seventh in the world, and has won eight Association of Tennis Professionals’ singles titles.
2. Nicknamed “Missile” for his massive serve, Raonic has recorded the sixth fastest serve of all time at 250 km/h (155.3 mph).
3. Born in Podgorica, Montenegro, Raonic moved to Canada at the age of three with his family to escape the Balkan crisis.
4. His father has a PhD in electrical engineering and his mother a Master’s in computer engineering. Both his grandfathers were professors (as is his father.) Accused by critics of being overly analytical, he explained: “I’m the son of two engineers, so everything is a numbers and calculation game.”
5. Raonic’s uncle, Branimir Gvozdenović, is a politician in the Montenegro, where he has served as Deputy Prime Minister.
6. Raonic has a sister, Jelena, eleven years older, who has a Master’s degree in international trade and finance. His brother, Momir, is nine years older and has a degree in information technology and business.
7. Raonic, whose mother’s uncle is “probably the most renowned artist in Montenegro” (in his own words), has a keen interest in art, and is known to refer to artists during interviews. Here’s a sample from a press conference during this year’s Australian Open: “Whatever iteration you see of Warhol’s life has been redefined over the years due to his unfortunate passing, but Weiwei’s story is constantly building and you are hearing something different.”
8. He graduated from high school a year early with an accelerated course load and an 82 percent average.
9. His girlfriend is Guess and swimsuit model Danielle Knudson. She will be conspicuously absent from the players’ box during the final because she is currently on a modelling shoot abroad.
10. In 2011, his breakthrough year, Raonic reached the fourth round of the Australian Open as a qualifier. He was hailed by The Sydney Morning Herald as a “future superstar.” At the end of that year, Raonic won the ATP Newcomer of the Year award.
11. His childhood idol is Pete Sampras, whose matches he claims to have taped and watched repeatedly. In November 2011, he beat Sampras in an exhibition match titled “The Face Off.”
12. In 2012, Raonic launched the Milos Raonic Foundation, which supports children from disadvantaged backgrounds and, in particular, those with physical disabilities.
13. One of the most distinctive features of Raonic’s on court appearance until recently has been the sleeve he wore on his right arm. Originally a fisherman’s sleeve worn to cover a rash, Raonic later replaced it with an athletic compression sleeve that he colour-coordinated with his tennis apparel. The sleeve has its own Twitter account. Fans have been known to chant the motto “Believe in the Sleeve” to show support for Raonic.
14. If he were not a professional tennis player, Raonic, a Toronto Raptors fan, claims he would have studied finance in college or become a professional basketball player. His dream after he retires is to be a successful businessman.
15. His first purchase after turning professional was a condominium for his parents, but nothing for himself. As late as 2012, when he was training in Barcelona, the low key Raonic stayed at a university dorm.
16. Not one to go clubbing or drink alcohol unlike a former player he has often been compared to, Mark Philippousis, Raonic says the craziest thing he does is “drink Coke to stay awake.” He also enjoys playing ping-pong.
17. Whom would Milos Raonic ideally want in his players’ box? Good friend Wayne Gretzky, compatriot Justin Bieber, Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter Georges St-Pierre, and his “celebrity crush” Taylor Swift.
18. A few years ago some young Canadians wrote a song about Raonic, made a video, and posted it on YouTube. Raonic made sure to email one of the kids and say "Thank You”. You can watch it here:
19. In March this year, Sports Illustrated’s senior writer and tennis analyst Jon Wertheim was asked if Raonic would ever win a Grand Slam. His response: “Is going to win Wimbledon. This July.”
20. At Wimbledon this year, Raonic has had three coaches – Riccardo Piatti, former French Open champion Carlos Moya, and John McEnroe. But he reminds everyone that he’s the one ultimately in charge, for he is the “CEO of Milos Raonic Tennis.”
21. Raonic clearly enjoys being in charge. During a match at the 2014 US Open, he got into a bit of a tussle with a ballboy and the umpire over the placement of his towels. It was a very windy day and the umpire wanted the towel weighed down by a water bottle on Raonic’s chair. Raonic said to the umpire, “I don’t think you should be telling people to touch my stuff.”
22. Fellow Canadian and eight-time Grand Slam double champion Daniel Nestor said this after Raonic’s semifinal victory over Roger Federer: “If he plays like he did in first and fifth sets (against Federer), not only will he be Wimbledon champion but also No. 1 in the world at this time next year.”
23. Raonic is already inspiring a new generation of Canadian kids to make their mark in the world of tennis. This year at Wimbledon, he is not the only Canadian finalist. Seventeen-year-old Denis Shapovalov will play in the boys’ singles final before teaming up with compatriot Felix Auger-Aliassime to play in the boys’ doubles final. Auguer-Aliassime said: “It’s really inspiring to see Milos close up…he’s a model for us all.”
24. The bookmakers’ odds for Sunday’s final: Murray – 2/7. Raonic – 3/1. The Canadian has lost to Andy Murray three times in 2016. The losses came in the Australian Open semi-final where Raonic was leading by two sets to one, in Monte Carlo, and in the final of Queen’s Club where Raonic was leading Murray by a set and a break.
25. Following his epic win over Federer in the semi-final, Raonic said he was pleased but quickly announced on Twitter:
Oindrila Mukherjee tweets here.
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