Raonic honored with Canadian Male Player of the Year award

After a comeback season that saw him take the tennis world by storm, it came as no surprise to see Milos Raonic win the Canadian Male Player of the Year Award.

The former World No.3 reached the Australian Open quarterfinals in January, losing to eventual champion Novak Djokovic. Following the ATP Restart, Raonic had an exceptional summer, reaching the Cincinnati Masters final (l. to Djokovic). The World No.14 then followed this up with strong performances in St. Petersburg and Paris, reaching the semifinals on both occasions.

This would be the eighth time that Raonic has won this award in the past ten years, losing to Denis Shapovalov in 2017 and 2019. Although Shapovalov made his maiden Grand Slam quarterfinals at the US Open, it was not enough to see him secure the award this year.

On the women's side, 18-year old Leylah Fernandez won the Canadian Female Player of the Year, accruing 120 ranking points in 2020 to finish the year at World No.88.

"We would like to offer sincere congratulations to all of the recipients of this year's Tennis Canada Excellence Awards," said Michael Downey, CEO and President of Tennis Canada.

"It was a very close race in the men's category, as both Milos and Denis had stellar seasons. The recognition for their efforts throughout the year is very well deserved. On the women's side, 2020 was a breakout season for Leylah, as she made waves on the professional tour and proved that she can compete with the best in the world, despite her young age," added Downey.