"Four years since I got to play in front of them" - Milos Raonic elated as parents witness comeback win over Frances Tiafoe at Canadian Open
Milos Raonic completed a stunning come-from-behind victory over Frances Tiafoe in the 2023 Canadian Open on Monday.
Raonic, playing as a wildcard, faced 10th seed Tiafoe in his first match in Toronto. In what will surely go down as one of the upsets of the season, Raonic came back from a set down to win 6-7 (12), 7-6 (4), 6-3. It marked his his first top 10 victory in over two years.
The Canadian fired a monstrous 37 aces to Tiafoe's eight and struck 57 winners to his opponent's 27 to clinch the contest.
His parents, Dusan and Vesna Raonic, were present in the stands at the Sobeys Stadium to witness their son's memorable victory. The former World No. 3 spoke about how special the result was to him during his post-match on-court interview.
Milos Raonic highlighted that he hadn't played in Toronto in a long time. He added that it had been four years since his parents, who have supported him throughout his junior and professional career, watched him play a match.
Raonic opined that everything came together for him at the most precise moment against Tiafoe and that he was grateful after a commendable performance.
"Five years from playing in Toronto. A whole four years since I have got to play in front of my parents, who were there for a majority of my matches as a junior, most of my matches as a pro. All these things coming together for a great night for me. I'm incredibly grateful for it," Raonic said.
A heartwarming moment for Milos ❤️
#NBO23 @milosraonic pic.twitter.com/RGNS8xvCJ0
Dusan and Vesna were over the moon and spotted hugging each other after their son's victory. In his post-match press conference, Milos Raonic said he saw the sweet moment. He also stated that while the family will not discuss it right away, there will be a time in the future when they will reminisce about it.
"Yeah, I saw it. I just thought it was sweet. I'm just so caught up in getting ready for the next thing. I'm not very good at stopping and reminiscing. I did see them. But, you know, Eastern European parents, not always the best at expressing emotions too much. So I'm sure there will be one moment when we talk about it. Today wasn't that day," he said.
Papa and Mama Raonic on match point ❤️ pic.twitter.com/6JSnP5o1mt
"I think it's a very short-term, short focus" - Milos Raonic on his plans in Toronto
Milos Raonic will next face Taro Daniel of Japan in the second round at the Canadian Open on August 9. When asked about his long-term plans, Raonic said he wants to focus on one match at a time and is not setting any future goals.
"I've just got to find a way to give myself the best chance to win next week -- not next week even. Next match. It doesn't really go much further than that. I think it's a very short-term, short focus, and doing everything I can for that," Raonic said in the press conference.
The win against Frances Tiafoe came in Raonic's fifth match on the ATP Tour in 2023 after nearly two years on the sidelines due to an injury. He made his comeback at the Libema Open in June and won his first-round match against top-50 opponent Miomir Kecmanovic.
He has since gone on play at Wimbledon via a wildcard and also won his opening-round match there, beating Dennis Novak of Austria. The 2016 Wimbledon finalist is currently ranked 545th in the world.