Alex de Minaur: Milos Raonic posing massive challenge in first round of Australian Open

Alex de Minaur will come up against one of the fastest serves recorded in world tennis in a brutal opening round match-up. However, the retiring John Millman has outlined a path to victory.

One of the fastest serves in tennis history stands between Alex de Minaur and the second round of the Australian Open.

With a top speed of 249.9km/h, the missile that is Milos Raonic’s serve has tormented the ATP Tour for more than a decade – and the Aussie No. 1 is its next target.

He beat Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray while they were in the prime of their careers and gave Novak Djokovic one of his sternest tests in his run to the 2021 Australian Open title.

De Minaur might have chuckled when he saw his name placed next to the world No. 317.

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Raonic, a former Wimbledon runner-up and five-time Australian Open quarter-finalist, is hardly the cushy opening-round draw often expected for one of the top seeds.

After almost two years away from the tour battling injury, the 33-year-old Canadian is back up and running and ready to break Aussie hearts.

The former world No. 3 has saved his best tennis for Melbourne Park, where he has a 34-11 win-loss record and has reached the fourth round or better eight times.

Canada's Milos Raonic has had effectively two years out of the sport as he looks to make his comeback at the Australian Open. Picture: William West / AFP.

One man who knows how dangerous Raonic can be is recently retired Aussie star John Millman.

Millman rated Raonic’s serve as the most difficult he faced throughout his career.

He said in one of their clashes at Wimbledon, the Canadian “nearly put me into the stands”.

“I went up to near the baseline and he put one through me that nearly made me fall over,” Millman said.

However, Millman believes de Minaur’s skill set makes him a match-up nightmare for Raonic, not the other way around.

“Alex is going to have to play really well – it’s not the easiest first-one up, that’s for sure,” Millman said.

“I used to hate having to face those big servers, especially early in a tournament. Sometimes the game can get taken out of your hands.

“The good news for Australian fans is that last year, Alex was the fifth-best returner on tour.

“He’s going to have to return well but when you think of all the people on tour, to be the fifth best stacks up well against someone like Milos.”

Alex de Minaur of Australia at a training session ahead of the 2024 Australian Open. Picture: Graham Denholm/Getty Images.

Last year, only the current world top four – Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev and Jannik Sinner – had better returns of service than de Minaur.

Between 2012 and 2019, Raonic won 91 per cent of his service games. That figure would have comfortably led the ATP Tour last year.

But he is only nine games into his comeback, while de Minaur took three top-10 scalps, including Djokovic, at the United Cup.

“Milos is a great server and his game is built around his serve,” Millman said.

“Having said that, there are still some question marks as to his fitness level.

“We have to go back three or four years to when he was playing consistently on tour but there is a lot of class about him. You don’t make the final of Wimbledon by accident.”

De Minaur and Raonic open the Monday night session on Rod Laver Arena from 7pm.

The Aussie is 1-0 in his career against the Canadian, who he beat in straight sets in 2018.