Shapovalov leads Canadian hopes at the French Open

When the COVID-19 pandemic put the ATP Tour on hold earlier this year, Canada's Denis Shapovalov used the extended break to work on using a more patient approach on court.

The subtle change has paid off with strong results since play resumed.

Shapovalov cracked the top 10 for the first time this week after impressive performances at the U.S. Open and the Italian Open. He’s hoping to ride that momentum into the French Open starting Sunday at Roland Garros.

The 21-year-old left-hander from Richmond Hill, Ont., leads a Canadian men’s singles contingent that includes Montreal’s Felix Auger-Aliassime, Vancouver’s Vasek Pospisil and Toronto’s Steven Diez.

Tennis broadcaster Robert Bettauer, a former national team coach, said he has been impressed by Shapovalov’s net game and consistency from the backcourt.

“His net game has gone to a whole other level and I give credit to him playing doubles for that,” Bettauer said. “He’s developed a doubles player volley. It’s really compact and efficient. And so now he’s really starting to take advantage of his penetrating ground strokes.”

Shapovalov, the No. 9 seed, drew local favourite Gilles Simon as his first-round opponent. Auger-Aliassime, seeded 19th, will open against Japan’s

Yoshihito Nishioka and Pospisil will take on seventh-seeded Italian Matteo Berrettini.

In women’s singles, Leylah Annie Fernandez of Laval, Que., and Eugenie Bouchard of Westmount, Que., have spots in the main draw. Fernandez, who turned 18 this month, will open against 31st-seeded Magda Linette of Poland while

Bouchard, a wild-card entry, will meet Russia’s Anna Kalinskaya.

World No. 20 Milos Raonic of Thornhill, Ont., withdrew from the tournament this week. Raonic, whose game is better suited to hardcourt and grass surfaces, hasn’t played at Roland Garros since 2017.

Shapovalov reached the U.S. Open quarterfinals and advanced to the semifinals last weekend in Rome. Known for an aggressive all-out style, he gives credit to coach Mikhail Youzhny for helping him focus on utilizing a little more restraint on court.

“We had a lot of time to really build up the game,” Shapovalov said at a recent availability. “He’s really trying to make me more of a well-rounded and smarter player. I really feel like he’s helped me a lot with that.

“Definitely being patient is a big thing that we’ve worked on.”