No Canadian man has more victories in Flushing Meadows than Denis Shapovalov. Even if the former World No. 10 had to wait three years to finally pass Milos Raonic on the US Open wins list (he did it this week, registering his first wins at Flushing Meadows since 2022), the 26-year-old’s current form has him believing that many more victories are in the offing.
A year ago that was not the case. When Shapovalov, in possession of jaw-dropping physicality and one of the liveliest arms in the men’s game during his prime, limped off the court after a loss at Wimbledon in 2023, his troubles were only just beginning. The verdict? The left knee was shot, a torn patellar tendon and tendinitis that proved near impossible to get over.
He returned to the tour in 2024, but progress would come at a snail’s pace. For six months he was still marooned outside of the Top 100 and frustration began to mount. Last year in New York, he fell in Round 1 to Botic van De Zandschulp in straight sets, snapping his run of six consecutive third-round appearances in the Big Apple, which featured a Round of 16 appearance on his debut and a quarterfinal in 2020.
To outsiders it looked as if Shapovalov’s best days were over. Even the Canadian, who is now ranked 29th, had his doubts.
“It was a long road to get back,” he said on Thursday after defeating Frenchman Valentin Royer in four sets to reach the third round. “Even when I started back up, there were a lot of difficult matches. I wasn't getting the wins, [even when I was] up in the matches, or the pain would come back in the knee.”
When Shapovalov finally won another title, in Belgrade in November, the joy was palpable. In a weird way, the harrowing experience with the knee had given him perspective, which then helped him unlock some of his greatest moments on tour. Belgrade opened the door for more. He defeated three Top 10 players during a magnificent title run in Dallas in February, and in July he claimed his third title in less than a year in Los Cabos.
“Honestly, that title meant 100 times more to me than the first title that I won in Stockholm,” Shapovalov told reporters on Thursday in New York. “I'm very grateful for going through what I did with my knee. It was definitely the toughest challenge I've ever had. First of all, not knowing if I would ever be back on court pain-free. There were a lot of doubtful days and tough moments.”
Here in New York, Shapovalov is preparing for one of the most daunting tasks in men’s tennis: He faces World No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the third round. The seemingly invincible defending champ (unless your name is Carlos Alcaraz) is riding a 23-match hard court winning streak at the Slams.
It’s a tough ask, but the Canadian has earned the confidence he’ll carry into Saturday’s match in Arthur Ashe Stadium. Shapovalov also can lean into the fact that he claimed the pair’s only meeting, even if it was more than four years ago at the Australian Open, before Sinner was the juggernaut he has become over the last two seasons.
“Definitely a great match to look back on, but of course, a lot has changed,” Shapovalov said. “I think Jannik has improved tremendously since that match, and I believe so have I. It's been a few years now.
“Definitely looking forward to another matchup with him. These are the types of matches that I live for.”
