Less than an hour before he was set to play his opening match at the National Bank Open in Montreal, Canadian tennis player Milos Raonic was forced to withdraw with a shoulder injury.
The disappointment of missing out on his home country’s largest tournament was palpable.
“It’s a pretty sh*tty feeling. I tried to warm up for my match today,” Raonic, who entered the 2024 NBO as a wildcard, told reporters on Tuesday evening. “The thing that was the most difficult was to serve. I don’t think I would’ve been able to be competitive by any means.”
Thirteenth seed Holger Rune, who was supposed to play Raonic, ended up facing off against last-minute lucky loser Roberto Bautista Agut, beating him in three sets.
Raonic most recently played in the ongoing Paris Olympics and lost his opening singles match to Dominik Koepfer. The last time he hit the men’s circuit hit Montreal was back in 2019.
And the 33-year-old, who grew up in Brampton, Ontario, is well aware that he may not get another chance.
“I’ve had a lot of moments where I haven’t been able to play, but I’d say this is probably the most difficult one. I haven’t played here in five years, and I don’t know if I’ll ever come back to Montreal.”
As for what the former No.3-ranked player is dealing with on the injury front, he says more tests are required, but knows he’s not in playing form at the moment.
“I had pain down my shoulder and I gotta see where it’s,” he added. “It just wasn’t anywhere close to where I need it to be.”
All he can do now is hope for the best as he tries to contain his disappointment.
“I’m just trying to not be too bummed out about it.”
Kicking off over the weekend, the NBO will conclude on August 12. Single and multi-session tickets are available for purchase on the tournament’s website.