Milos Raonic picks up his first win at Wimbledon since 2019

Milos Raonic's return to Wimbledon is off to a dream start after he emerged victorious in his opening-round match against Austria's Dennis Novak.

This was the Canadian's first match at the Wimbledon Championships since 2019, when he reached the fourth round (where he lost to Guido Pella). Raonic entered this year's Wimbledon via a protected ranking and came up against qualifier and World No. 148 Novak.

The Austrian took the first set in a tiebreaker, 7-5, but Raonic levelled the deficit in the second set, 6-4, by breaking Novak early. The third set again went to a tiebreaker, but the Canadian managed to clinch it 7-5.

Raonic then wrapped up the match in the fourth set and booked his berth into the second round, 6-7(5), 6-4, 7-6(5), 6-1.

There were ample positives for Milos Raonic to take from the match. In addition to winning the 2 hours and 42-minute battle, Raonic's big serves were on display as he hit 27 aces past Novak.

The Canadian player wasn't broken even once in the match, saving both the breakpoints he faced. The 32-year-old also hit 58 winners to Novak's 25.

This was Raonic's first Grand Slam match since the 2019 Australian Open, where he exited in the fourth round after a loss to Alexander Zverev. The former World No. 3 only returned to professional tennis last month at the Libema Open after going on a hiatus from the sport in July 2021.

During his time on the sidelines, Raonic was nursing many injuries, ranging from an Achilles issue and a thigh niggle to a broken toe.

However, just like his return to Grand Slam tennis at Wimbledon, Raonic also won his first match back on tour against Miomir Kecmanovic, then World No. 37, in s-Hertogenbosch.

The Canadian lost to Jordan Thompson in the second round at Libema Open and withdrew from Queen's Club Championships due to a suspected shoulder injury. But he recovered just in time for the 2023 Wimbledon and will now face No. 16 seed Tommy Paul in the second round at SW19.

Paul overcame the challenge of Japanese qualifier Shintaro Mochizuki in his opening-round match.

“I think it's going to be an emotional thing that I go through" - Milos Raonic on his return to Wimbledon

Milos Raonic at the 2016 Wimbledon Championship

Wimbledon has been Milos Raonic's most successful Grand Slam. The Canadian reached the final in London in 2016 (lost to Andy Murray), the semifinal in 2014 (lost to Roger Federer), and the quarter-finals in 2017 (lost to Roger Federer), and 2018 (lost to John Isner).

Keeping this record in mind, Raonic isn't sure what to expect upon returning to Wimbledon. Before the tournament commenced, the Canadian professed that coming back to SW19 will surely be an emotional ride, whether he wins or loses his first-round match.

“I think it's going to be an emotional thing that I go through. I don't think it’s possible to have an idea. I could win my first match, I could lose my first match and I could walk away in both cases, happy or upset. So I'm not exactly too sure," Milos Raonic said.

The 8-time ATP Champion, currently ranked World No. 840, said that he plans to focus on one tournament at a time while returning to the ATP Tour. He plans on playing at the Canadian Open and US Open. After that, he will take stock of his progress and decide about his future in tennis.

“Right now, I'm coming back to play here. One more time coming back, especially to play Toronto, and I’ve come back for the US Open as well. And then I have to have a conversation with myself.”