Since 1992, The Canadian Club of Toronto has presented its Canadian(s) of the Year Award to distinguished Canadians whose efforts and example have improved the lives of others and benefited us as a nation. On Wednesday, November 26th, Canada’s podium of record is proud to recognize Milos Raonic, Canada’s top ranking professional tennis player, as our 2014 Canadian of the Year award recipient.
Milos Raonic is the highest-ranked Canadian tennis player in the Open Era after becoming the first from his country to break the Top 10 in the Emirates ATP Rankings on 12th August 2013.
Born in Podgorica, Montenegro in 1990, Milos and his family relocated to Toronto in 1994. He currently resides in Monte Carlo, Monaco. Parents are Dusan and Vesna (both engineers); sister, Jelena and brother, Momir.
Milos began playing tennis at age nine and played his first tennis tournament at age 10 in Toronto. When he was 16, he grew into one of Canada’s top juniors and was invited to be one of the first to join Tennis Canada’s National Training Centre in Montreal.
Milos spent three years training with Canada’s top juniors in Montreal. He became one of three Canadians to reach the fourth round at a Grand Slam championship when he reached the last 16 as a qualifier at the 2011 Australian Open (l. to Ferrer), when he was just 20 years old. He was named as Newcomer of the Year in the 2011 ATP World Tour Awards presented by Moët & Chandon after jumping from No. 156 in the Emirates ATP Rankings at the start of the season to No. 31 on 14 November 2011.
Milos has won six ATP World Tour titles and became the first homegrown finalist at the Canadian Masters since Robert Bedard in 1958 when he finished runner-up to Rafael Nadal in August 2013.
He is coached by former World No. 3 Ivan Ljubicic and Riccardo Piatti and works with trainer Dalibor Sirola and physio Claudio Zimaglia.
