Milos Raonic: Former Wimbledon champion retires from tennis at the age of 35

Former Wimbledon finalist Milos Raonic said he was the “luckiest person” to have fulfilled his dreams when he announced his retirement from tennis.

The 35-year-old Canadian beat Roger Federer to reach Wimbledon in 2016, suffering a straight-sets defeat to Briton Andy Murray.

Raonic, who has won eight tour-level titles, achieved the highest world ranking of his career with three titles in the same year, having also reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open.

“It’s time, I’m retiring from tennis,” Raonic posted on social media on Sunday.

“This is the moment you know one day will come, but somehow you never feel ready for it. And this is as ready as I’ll ever be.”

“Tennis has been my love and obsession for most of my life.”

Known for his powerful serve, which earned him the nickname “The Rocket,” Raonic played his last match at the 2024 Olympics, losing in the first round to German Dominik Koepfer.

He added: “I was the luckiest person to be able to live and achieve my dreams. I had to show up every day and focus on getting better, see where it would take me, and play a game I was introduced to when I was eight years old through pure luck.”

“In a way, it became my entire obsession and childhood, and then it became my career and my life.”

Raonic was born in Titograd, Yugoslavia (now Podgorica, Montenegro) and moved to Canada when he was three years old. He won his first ATP title at the Pacific Coast Championships in 2011.

“What’s next? I’m not slowing down. There’s a lot of life to live, and I’m as excited and hungry as I was in 2011, when I set off on the tour. I’ll put the same effort and intensity into the next thing,” he said.