“I skipped the next tournament. I didn’t want to get out of bed. The first steps were my mum making me walk the dogs – from there on, things started rolling.”
“It has helped me mature as a person. It has helped my game on the court – I stay much more calm, just knowing what could happen if I lose my temper again.”
“It was extremely bad luck for me and for the umpire, I know – but he has been a big part of it.”
“In a strange way we have become good friends.” Shapovalov said.
The incident changed his life, helped him take a step back, evaluate his career, his ambitions and comeback on court with a fresh perspective and purpose. And he just hasn’t looked back since.
Beating Nadal in Montreal was his career’s first real breakthrough, helping him forget the scars of the past and be known round the world for his tennis rather than his antics.
The last week has helped him speed up his tennis career, racing through the initial rounds of the US Open(beating Tsonga in the process) and displaying some scintillating tennis in the process.
The ‘nextgen stars’ list is on the rise, but there is something special about Shapovalov, something so exciting that it makes you want to believe that he will succeed.
Powerful groundstrokes, booming serve, graceful one-handed backhand and the hunger to win; Shapovalov is certainly one for the future.
The fourth round loss too is going to teach him a lot of things. Consistency is one thing missing from his game, and if he can somehow carve it into his arsenal, he can soar new heights(easier said than done though).
This is where the tough part starts though. A lot of tennis players have one great tournament and then a pool of poor results. Adjusting to the sudden fame, working on his game and attitude will be of paramount importance in the next few months, and if he can do that with conviction, 2018 could be a year to remember for the young man.
