Milos Raonic's wild card dreams crushed, misses Wimbledon's entry after all-British wild card lineup

Milos Raonic will not receive a wild card entry to Wimbledon following the All England Lawn Tennis Club's announcement of an all-British wild card roster. The former world No. 3, who was a runner-up in SW19 after losing to local hero Andy Murray, will need to find another way to compete.

Raonic missed Wimbledon in 2021 and 2022, and used his protected ranking to enter the draw in 2023. However, ATP rules stipulate that players cannot use their protected ranking for a Grand Slam entry more than once.

Despite his historic performance this week at the ATP 500 Queen’s Club Championships, where he defeated Cameron Norrie 6-7(6), 6-3, 7-6(9) and hit a record 47 aces in a three-set match, Raonic, currently ranked No. 186, is not on the main draw entry list but will compete in the tournament's qualifiers.

The AELTC announced wild cards exclusively for British players: Liam Broady (No. 148), Jan Choinski (No. 177), Jacob Fernley (No. 274), Arthur Fery (No. 249), Billy Harris (No. 162), Paul Jubb (No. 292), and Henry Searle (No. 570). The last spot is reserved for the winner of the Ikley Challenger, currently featuring top contenders such as 4th seed David Goffin and second seed Lloyd Harris.

Although this year’s wild cards are all for British players, this is not always the norm at SW19. Unlike the French Open, which typically awards wild cards to local players only, Wimbledon has historically included international players. In 2023, a wild card was granted to David Goffin, while Tim van Rijthoven and Stan Wawrinka were recipients in 2022. In 2021, an agreement with the Australian Federation saw Alex Bolton receive a wild card, along with a young Carlos Alcaraz, who was just beginning his Tour journey.