Just one day into the 2023 US Open, it has already been a tournament to forget for the Canadian men.

Both Milos Raonic and Felix Auger-Aliassime lost their first-round matches, winning just one set between the two of them.

Neither player will get a chance to redeem themselves in September’s Davis Cup, as they were not nominated to help Canada defend its championship.

Felix Auger-Aliassime's struggles continue

Auger-Aliassime, the world’s No. 15-ranked player, lost to 40th-ranked Mackenzie McDonald by a score of 7-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4.

The Canadian was favored to win the match, but 11 double faults to McDonald’s one and 52 unforced errors to McDonald’s 37 made the difference on the day.

The 23-year-old Montreal native’s 2023 win-loss record dropped to 14-15 as a result. He has lost six of his last seven matches dating back to the French Open in May.

Entering the tournament, Auger-Aliassime had the 14th-best odds at +5000 and he would have wanted to return to his 2021 form where he made that year’s US Open semifinals.

He might be disappointed to miss out on the Davis Cup, but missing that tournament gives him a chance to rest before the Laver Cup in Vancouver starting Sept. 22.

Retirement up next for Milos Raonic?

Veteran player Milos Raonic’s US Open ended just as soon as it began, with a straight-sets loss to the world’s No. 7-ranked player Stefanos Tsitsipas by a score of 6-2, 6-3, 6-4.

Tsitsipas played a cleaner game than Raonic, as the match winner committed 20 unforced errors compared to the Canadian’s 48.

Raonic, who was a +15000 outsider to win the tournament, is now 4-4 in 2023 after his US Open loss.

The 15-year tour veteran returned from a two-year hiatus in June. He has hinted at retiring after the US Open, but has not made an official announcement.

Rusty Gorelick

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