Denis Shapovalov vows to make Paris Masters final defeat the start of big success story

ATP Tour
Denis Shapovalov in Paris

Denis Shapovalov has vowed to make his Paris Masters final appearance the first of many after he finished his 2019 season a high point.

The 20-year-old lost 6-3, 6-4 to Novak Djokovic in Sunday’s final, but enjoyed a fabulous week beating Fabio Fognini, Alexander Zverev and Gael Monfils along the way.

“It’s an unbelievable week for me, but it doesn’t stop here,” Shapovalov said. “It’s [now] back to the court, back to practising.

“I want to be beating guys like Novak so I have to improve, get better, find a way to return better against his serve. And hopefully I can do even better next year.”

It has been an inconsistent season for Shapovalov but the last week has given a much more positive gloss to it as he won his first title in Stockholm before contesting his first Masters final in Paris.

Only one Canadian before him has reached a Masters final – former Wimbledon runner-up Milos Raonic.

Shapovalov, though, insists that inconsistency is something most young players need to accept, and he believes he can improve that side of his game moving forward.

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“It’s a sport. There’s going to be ups and downs. And it’s not going to be finals of a Masters every week,” added Shapovalov.

“So it’s normal to have some dips and rises. You know, I’m still learning about my game, too, improving every day.”

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Denis Shapovalov

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