Finishing year 27th ‘huge’ for Shapovalov
TORONTO • Canada’s Denis Shapovalov started the tennis season feeling the pressure of heightened expectations. He ends it feeling confident, comfortable and ready for the next step.
“For me the goal was just to stay inside the top 50,” he said. “To be able to finish the year-end at (No.) 27, it’s huge for me. It’s pretty inspiring and motivating to keep going forward so that next year hopefully I can ... keep improving my ranking.”
There is plenty for the 19-year-old left-hander to be bullish about. While still looking for his first ATP Tour title, Shapovalov avoided the sophomore slump in 2018 and cemented himself as one of the tour’s top young talents.
He reached the final four at the Madrid Masters to become the youngest semifinalist in the tournament’s history.
It was one of three semifinal appearances on the season.
Shapovalov reached a career-high No. 23 in the world rankings last spring and was a key cog in Canada’s Davis Cup victory over the Netherlands last summer.
“Physically I’ve gotten stronger and mentally I’ve gotten better,” he said. “My game in general has improved. I felt like last year to beat these guys, I had to play my best tennis. Now I feel like if I’m just playing good, if I’m playing my solid tennis game, I’m able to probably beat them and be tight with them.”
Armed with a powerful spin-heavy serve, steady ground strokes and incredible retrieving ability, Shapovalov has the range and talent to hang with anyone on court. His hunger, athleticism and strength make him a very tough opponent.
Shapovalov’s breakthrough came in the summer of 2017 with deep runs at the Rogers Cup — highlighted by a stunning victory over Rafael Nadal — and the U.S. Open.
Other players and coaches told him how hard it would be to follow up on that breakout season, and Shapovalov admits it was on his mind at the start of the year.
However, he was determined to keep his expectations in check and was focused on making improvements.
“I think for the most part I’ve done a pretty good job,” he said this week at a charity event for the Lights Foundation.
“I made (three) semifinals, obviously I didn’t get to the finals or win tournaments. (But) for the second year on Tour, to do what I did, I’m pretty proud of myself.”