Coach Mario Tudor has confirmed that Milos Raonic is planning to return to tennis. Raonic, 31, missed the entire 2022 season as he last competed during the Atlanta Open in the summer of 2021. In 2021, Raonic started experiencing major problems with his Achilles.
Last May, while Raonic was preparing to return to action, a gym weight fell on his foot and broke his toe. It took Raonic two months to recover from the broken toe injury and it was clear he would not play in 2022. Since Raonic has kept a pretty low profile over the last year and a half, some suspected that he silently retired from the game.
Coach Tudor: Raonic is returning
“At the beginning of 2021 he already felt pain in his Achilles, couldn’t run full speed. His combination of height and explosiveness makes him prone to injuries. He looks more like a handball player.
After Atlanta he had an appointment, the doctor said Achilles is barely holding together. Rehab was as long as Achilles would’ve snapped. He made the first hit this February, even that was from a static position. In May he felt better, let’s say his leg was at 70%, but when at his fitness coach’s (Dalibor Sirola) place in Italy, a weight fell on his foot, he broke his toe.
That meant another two months without serious tennis training. My goal for him was to come back at US swing, but now we expect to compete in February or March. Surely there were black thoughts and contemplating retirement which is reasonable when you lose two seasons in a row.
But Miloš loves tennis a tad too much and I’m telling you that he’s very motivated to come back on tour. You got to know he has earned enough to live happily ever after. He won’t come back due to money, more so he can do what he enjoys the most,” Tudor told Sport Klub Slovenia. If everything goes right, Raonic should return to action in early 2023.