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Former world No. 3 and Canadian Milos Raonic announced Tuesday night that he has decided to withdraw from the National Bank Open due to a shoulder injury.
“I tried to warm up for my match today and the thing that was most difficult was the serve. I don’t think I would’ve been able to be competitive by any means,” said Raonic, who had felt pain in his shoulder over the past 48 hours.
“I’ve had a lot of moments (in my career) where I haven’t been able to play, but I’d say this is probably the most difficult one. I haven’t played here in five years, and I don’t know if I’ll ever come back to Montreal.”
Raonic, of Thornhill, Ont., wasn’t the only negative news for Canada on Tuesday at IGA Stadium.
Denis Shapovalov and Vasek Pospisil lost 6-4, 6-3 to Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori of Italy in 62 minutes, while Felix Auger-Aliassime and Alexis Galarneau lost 6-0, 6-1 in 46 minutes to Jordan Thompson and Max Purcell of Australia.
Shapovalov of Richmond Hill, Ont., and Pospisil of Vancouver found themselves in an early 3-1 hole during the first set. The duo fought back but could not make up the difference with the lone break being the difference maker. Bolelli and Vavassori were imperious, winning 20 of their 23 service points in the opening set.
The Canadians were immediately broken again in the first game of the second set, putting them on the back foot. The No. 5-ranked pairing in the world took over from there, refusing to let Shapovalov and Pospisil back into the game to secure the straight sets win.
Montreal’s Auger-Aliassime, who had just come off a deep run in the 2024 Paris Olympics — he finished fourth in singles and won bronze in mixed doubles — couldn’t get things going with Galarneau, who had to finish a singles’ qualifier earlier in the day.
Immediately broken by the No. 12-ranked pairing of Thompson and Purcell, the Canadians were whipped 6-0 in the first set. The second set offered more of the same as Thompson and Purcell won the match easily.
Auger-Aliassime, Shapovalov and Pospisil are all competing in the men’s singles tournament alongside fellow Canadian Gabriel Diallo.
