Djokovic salutes Raonic as career ends
A farewell that resonated across tennis
Milos Raonic confirmed the end of his professional career on Sunday, closing the chapter on an 18 year run that reshaped Canadian men’s tennis. According to Raonic’s own Instagram post, the announcement was accompanied by personal photos from his childhood, family life, and career highlights, underscoring how long the journey had lasted and how much it meant to him.
The news quickly spread through the tennis world, drawing responses from current players, former rivals, and major tennis organizations. The reaction reflected not only Raonic’s achievements, but also the respect he earned during an era dominated by some of the sport’s greatest names.
Djokovic acknowledges a longtime rival
Novak Djokovic was among the most prominent figures to respond publicly. According to TennisTV, the Serbian shared Raonic’s retirement announcement on his Instagram story shortly after it was posted.
Alongside the image, Djokovic wrote, “Congrats on an amazing career, @mraonic 🙌🇨🇦.” The brief message carried added weight given their long history on tour, where they regularly crossed paths at the sport’s biggest events.
Read also: Why Chelsea, United and Madrid all pulled the trigger in January
Although Djokovic held a clear competitive edge in their meetings, the exchange highlighted the mutual professionalism that defined their rivalry over more than a decade.
Tributes from peers and institutions
Raonic’s fellow Canadians were quick to react. Felix Auger Aliassime described him as “the Greatest Canadian to ever do it” in an Instagram story, crediting Raonic for mentorship both on and off the court. Bianca Andreescu echoed the sentiment by calling him a “Canadian legend 🙌” in the comments.
American veteran John Isner also weighed in, writing that Raonic’s career was marked by “class and professionalism all the way through.” Beyond individual players, organizations including the International Tennis Federation, the Davis Cup, and the BNP Paribas Open shared messages recognizing his contributions to the sport.
Numbers that defined a career
Raonic steps away from tennis with eight ATP singles titles and a career record of 383 wins and 184 losses. His most successful season came in 2016, when he climbed to World No. 3, the highest ranking ever achieved by a Canadian man at the time.
Read also: Neymar weighs new Brazil role
That year included his deepest Grand Slam runs. Raonic reached the Wimbledon final after a five set semifinal win over Roger Federer, before finishing runner up to Andy Murray. He also reached the Australian Open semifinals and appeared in four Masters 1000 finals across his career.
A rivalry that told its own story
While Raonic challenged many of the sport’s elite, Novak Djokovic consistently had the upper hand. Djokovic completed their head to head series with a 12,0 record, defeating Raonic in three Masters 1000 finals, Paris in 2014, Indian Wells in 2016, and Cincinnati in 2020.
Raonic’s final professional appearance came at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he was edged out in a three set opening round loss to Dominik Koepfer. It was a quiet ending to a career defined by powerful serving, resilience through injuries, and a lasting influence on Canadian tennis.
Sources: TennisTV, Instagram
Read also: Former Chelsea boss admired by Real Madrid in manager search
Read also: US weighs cyber options as Trump warns World Cup nation
