WATCH: Denis Shapovalov training ahead of 2023 Barcelona Open

Ryan Jarvis 18 Apr 2023 12:24 PM

Denis Shapovalov celebrating

Are you a fan of an underdog? Then you’ll certainly enjoy watching Denis Shapovalov play in the ongoing Barcelona Open.

As a junior, Shapovalov won several titles, including the 2015 US Open Junior Doubles titles. He also won the 2016 Wimbledon Junior singles title.

Shapovalov began his professional career in 2017, debuting at the Challenger de Drummondville. The Canadian star faced Quentin Halys, with the match being called off at 4-1 due to Halys being unable to continue. The rising star then went on to the final, where he faced Belgium star Ruben Bemelmans. The match ended with a final score of 6-3, 6-2, which went in Shapovalov’s favour.

His first Grand Slam victory came in 2017 at the US Open, where he defeated Russian star Daniil Medvedev with a final score of 7-5, 6-1, 6-2.

The Canadian then went on to take the tennis world by storm after becoming the youngest semi-finalist in the 2018 Madrid Open at the age of 19. Unfortunately for Shapovalov, he suffered defeat at the hands of German star Alexander Zverev, with a final score of 4-6, 1-6.

The Canadian has not had the most memorable career in terms of titles, having only ever won one ATP Tour singles trophy, which came from the Stockholm Open in 2019. The star faced Serbian Filip Krajinovic, where he claimed his first and only ATP title by winning the match 6-4, 6-4.

Shapovalov is currently ranked No 28 in the ATP Rankings but has seen himself in much higher positions. His best performance came in 2020 when the 24-year-old saw himself reach a career-high of No 10 in the ATP Rankings.

Shapovalov has had a difficult season so far, having only played 13 matches this year and only having won six of them. However, this has not diminished the star’s love for tennis, as he is very happy that he gets to do what he loves.

“I think at the end of the day, first of all if things are not going well, you can have it way worse. I’m fortunate enough to be in the position that I am and trying to be the best possible. But it’s just a sport. It’s just a game. Obviously I want to be better and sometimes I’m frustrated on the court. But I think I do a good job of just not carrying it over because we’re very lucky. I’m living a good life.” said Shapovalov.

The Canadian missed out on competing in the 2022 Barcelona Open after sustaining an injury to his shoulder. This time out, he will look to make a good impression while pushing himself toward the title.

Shapovalov is seeded 14th for the ATP 500 event in Barcelona and was awarded a bye in the opening round. He will play his first match on Wednesday where he will face Slovak qualifier Jozef Kovalik in the round of 32.

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