"Great to see Milos Raonic back" - Venus Williams
Venus Williams recently shared her appreciation for Milos Raonic as the Canadian made a strong start to his comeback with a thrilling win over Miomir Kecmanovic at the 2023 Libema Open.
After picking up an Achilles tendon injury in July 2021, Raonic suffered an unfortunate string of injuries that kept him on the sidelines for nearly two years. The 32-year-old made his return to the tour at the Libema Open. He last competed on tour at the 2021 Atlanta Open, where he lost to Brandon Nakashima in the second round.
Despite his long layoff from the tour, the 2016 Wimbledon finalist showed off his impressive grass court prowess as he took on Kecmanovic in his opening match. Despite a shaky start to the match, Raonic put on a clinical serving display, winning 92 percent of points behind his first serve en route to his 6-3, 6-4 win over the fifth seed.
Venus Williams took to social media and expressed her delight at Raonic's comeback.
"Great to see @mraonic back," she wrote on her Instagram story.
Following his win, Milos Raonic reveled in the joy of his return to professional tennis and expressed his desire to put in his best efforts and see how much further he can go.
“It’s nice to be here after almost two years now and stepping away for a long time. It’s nice to be giving it one more try and hopefully going as far as I can. I’ve put in the best effort I could, and I want to see how far it takes me," he said.
Libema Open 2023: Venus Williams set to take on Celine Naef, Milos Raonic faces either Jordan Thompson or Giovanni Mpetshi
Venus Williams is also set to make her comeback at the Libema Open. The American accepted a wildcard for the event to end her layoff from the tour, caused by a hamstring injury she picked up at the ASB Classic in January.
Williams will be up against 17-year-old Celine Naef in the first round on Tuesday, June 13. Ahead of her tournament opener, the seven-time Grand Slam champion expressed her desire to win the tournament, while acknowledging the tough competition she would face from the other players.
"This morning I got my feet dirty on the grass and the courts are great. It's the first time I've played on grass in a year. I would like to win here. But other players want it too, so I have to earn it," Venus Williams said.
Meanwhile, Milos Raonic will continue his comeback in the second round, taking on the winner of the match between Jordan Thompson and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.