Canada’s Milos Raonic struggled to overcome Australian ace Alex de Minaur in the opening round of this year’s Australian Open. Plagued with injuries from the opening set, the former World No. 3 was forced to retire in the third, but fans online were somewhat distracted from the play and more concerned with his bizarre choice of tennis gear.
The Australian Open 2024 is in full swing in Melbourne with the likes of Novak Djokovic, Alex de Minaur and Carlos Alcaraz battling it out to win the first Grand Slam of the year.
The players have slowly been arriving Down Under since the turn of the New Year, engaging fans with viral videos, playing exhibition games against Aussie sports stars and even competitive head-to-head matches before the Australian Open began.
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Alex de Minaur, Australia’s best chance of a homegrown champion in Melbourne, was setting the court alight with a huge statement win over Australian Open favourite (and the most decorated player in the tournament’s history) Novak Djokovic earlier this month.
The young Australian entered the Top 10 for the first time in his career following his win and rightfully forced his way into conversations about potential champions in the build-up to the tournament – his opening round bout with Canadian tennis star Milos Raonic was certainly watched with increased interest.
The game was electric, but fans online were somewhat distracted from the tennis action and focused instead on Raonic’s peculiar ‘dad outfit’ on court as the Canadian opted to rock ankle socks for the opening match.
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On the court, Alex de Minaur was under relentless siege in the opening set, with Raonic displaying his formidable serving capabilities and forcing de Minaur to brace for impact.
Even though Raonic had to take a medical break for hip issues, the seasoned Canadian took the first set from Alex de Minaur 7-6(6) before conceding the second set following the break. It was clear Raonic was struggling and retired from the match; had his movement issues not forced him to retire early, de Minaur’s tournament could’ve been over before it started.