Milos Raonic made his return to tennis after two years off injured, with the Canadian hammering out a 6-3, 6-4 first-round win over Miomir Kecmanovic at the ATP event in the Netherlands.
2016 Wimbledon finalist Raonic, 32, has not been sighted on court since playing his last ATP match in Atlanta, 2021; his last time on grass came at the All England club in 2019.
On Monday, one-time No. 3 Raonic struck a respectable 15 aces and broke Kecmanovic three times in his return.
His injury list over the last 24 months includes Achilles, back, elbow, glute, thigh, right ankle, right calf and right knee.
“It’s nice to be here after almost two years now and stepping away for a long time,” Raonic said.
“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 added: “It’s been a real pleasure to get to play in front of people. I didn’t get to hit a single tennis ball for a full year.
“Now I get to play in front of a bunch of people. It was pretty nerve-wracking, I forgot that feeling.
“It might have been a little bit easier if I played in front of nobody today.”
The nervous winner moved through in 85 minutes and admitted that his injury hard luck was mentally draining.
“It’s been a little heartbreaking a lot of the time when I couldn’t do anything and it’s nice for me to be here one more time.
“I get the chance to be on court, I get the chance to play, I get the chance to compete, to put in the work.
“I get a chance to see how far it takes me, so I’m thankful.”
