Denis Shapovalov, set to face world No. 1 Jannik Sinner on Saturday in the US Open third round, is determined to make an impact in New York. Says the 26-year-old Canadian, “These are the types of matches that I kind of live for.”
Here's what he had to say about his 2017 run to the fourth round, being sidelined due to injury and finding balance and joy off the court.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Q: When you look back to the 2017 US Open, only your second main draw appearance at a Slam, you kind of took New York by storm—a free-swinging kid with a backward ballcap and a full-orbit, one-handed backhand. As a qualifier, you took out Daniil Medvedev and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga en route to the Round of 16. For many of us, that was our first glimpse of you. How different are you today from that 18-year-old newcomer?
Denis Shapovalov: Very different, very different. I’ve had to go through a lot on and off the court. I think I’ve just grown a lot. Those were—I don’t want to say ‘the fun days’, but you never go back to that feeling. When you first come onto the scene and you’re playing so loose, you can’t do anything wrong. You play terrible? No one cares. You play great? It’s to your advantage. None of the players know how you play. You’re coming in swinging. I’m playing Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. I want to crush the guy! He’s a guy I’ve seen play for years. I want to come after him and see how my game is against him. For him, it’s completely the opposite. It’s the first round of a Slam, he’s playing some young kid, he’s trying to groove into a tournament. It’s just so different. You never go back to that feeling. I think it happens with everyone.
When you first step on, you play with nothing to lose. You’re just excited. Everything’s new—every tournament, every opportunity. Once you kind of solidify yourself, once players get to know you, you just play differently. If you’re a good player, you’re not forever going to be an underdog. You need to be good at being the lead guy.
Q: You went through a tough stretch in 2023, missing six months of a the season due to a knee injury. How difficult was it for you from a psychological standpoint?
Denis Shapovalov: Not easy. It definitely puts things into perspective, first of all that things aren’t forever and bodies do break down. You’re in a very physical sport and you don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow. You see guys like Matteo Berrettini—it took so long for a guy like him to come back. The first time he came back, he was playing great, then the second time he came back and rolled his ankle. It’s not easy going through all these things physically.
Mentally, it’s tough because the number one thing you want to be is healthy, right? Once you’re there, you want to get back in shape. I felt like I was sitting on the sidelines for six months. Then you head into Australia and all these guys have been in pressure situations and you haven’t experienced that. It definitely takes time to come back. It’s normal. I’ve talked a lot to James Blake about how difficult it is to come back. He gave me some good advice to just stay patient and kind of keep working through it.
Q: How dark did it get for you when things just weren't progressing? You were a Top-10 player. You proved you belong there. But suddenly it felt like you were being passed by.
Denis Shapovalov: I wouldn’t say there were low moments for me. It was kind of the opposite for me. It made me realize how lucky I am to be in this life, to have a chance to be playing around the world, to have this sport as a ‘job’ so to say. It gave me perspective of how far I’ve come the last four or five years, what I’ve achieved. I wouldn’t say it’s a fresh start coming back, but it’s—not uplifting, I don’t know what the right word is—but it’s just enjoyable to be back on court. Of course, it’s tough when you’re physically not all there. Like you said, you do have dark days just because you want to be physically 100% and be able to compete, but it gave me perspective.
I have been very lucky thus far to be in this sport for six, seven years. Now I have a chance to come back and keep playing. I have a good life, as well, outside of tennis. If I hung up the racquets tomorrow, I’d be fine. I have a great life. I’d be perfectly happy. But this is what makes me the happiest, especially at the moment. Not to be dramatic, but I do feel blessed to be able to be back out here.
"I have been very lucky thus far to be in this sport for six, seven years. Now I have a chance to come back and keep playing."
Q: How big has your off-court relationship been for you from a support perspective, specifically your engagement to WTA pro Mirjam Björklund?
Denis Shapovalov: It’s huge. Everyone’s different. I’m not a guy that’s 24/7 about tennis. For me, it’s pretty important to have a life outside of tennis and to have someone like Mirjam kind of also living my life, understanding that you need tennis, but you also need to do stuff outside of tennis and enjoy life. It’s been the best thing for me. She’s helped me deal with a lot, not just tennis but other issues, other things in life.
She’s definitely been my rock. I have good friends around me that have helped as well. For me, it’s always been important to spend time around close people. I’ve always just been wired that way...I’m a strong believer: You have one life and you really don’t know how long you live for. You need to enjoy every moment every day.
