For a long time, I was of the belief that Milos Raonic was overrated.
The big-serving Canadian, in my mind, was a one-trick pony that got a bit too much attention because of where he was born.
However, in a rare admission of defeat, I was wrong.
Now, Raonic is far more than just a serve. He has developed into a well-rounded player and he has played better over the past month than he ever has in his career.
Plus, he’s doing it on the biggest stage.
The Thornhill, Ont., native, who added tennis legend John McEnroe to his coaching team this year, has taken big strides in his game since returning from an injury-riddled 2015 season. He moves better around the court. His ground strokes are more consistent and he’s still got that big, dominant serve.
Raonic’s results have been more consistent, as well. The sixth-seeded Canadian reached the quarterfinals in six of the first seven tournaments he appeared in this year, which included three finals and significant victories over two top-10 players. He also had an 8-2 record against top-20 opponents that ranked below the big four prior to appearing at Wimbledon and took Andy Murray down to the wire at Queen’s Club in London.
His progress was evident Wednesday in a victory over American Sam Querrey to advance to the semifinals at Wimbledon for just the second time of his career. He lost serve only once and broke Querrey three times, including the final game, to secure the victory. It will be his third-ever final four appearance at a Grand Slam.
Raonic is now lined up for a semifinal match with Roger Federer, who he impressively beat in January to win the Brisbane title. He’s inching closer to that Big Four, which is the hardest thing to do in professional men’s tennis, but he’s not quite there yet.
Beating Federer in the semifinal would elevate him that much closer.