Denis Shapovalov has been a curious case in tennis. The Canadian has undoubted talent but has failed to make an impact on the ATP Tour so far. The 24-year-old skipped the end of the 2023 season after he injured his knee at Wimbledon. Recently, the Canadian posted on social media calling out a troll and was supported by Australian star Nick Kyrgios.
Former World No.8 Mikhail Youzhny criticized Denis Shapovalov for his lack of interest in tennis. Youzhny had coached Shapovalov in the past for a spell of three years. The duo worked together from 2019 to 2022. The former coach also added that the Canadian should be consistently in the top 10, however, he did not have tennis as his priority.
“Two or three years ago, he was one of the guys who could consistently be in the top 10, but for that to happen, he needed to change a few things outside tennis. Main thing, he has to try to put tennis as his priority. It is his priority for most of the time, but in my opinion, he made some wrong decisions where he didn’t make tennis as the priority.”
However, Denis Shapovalov was quick to respond to this criticism with a cryptic message of his own on social media. The Canadian claimed that he has given all his life to tennis and does not appreciate such comments against him. The 24-year-old admitted that he is injured since Wimbledon and is working hard everyday to be back on court.
This tweet from Shapovalov got a great response from fans who understood his frustration. Even the Australian superstar Nick Kyrgios liked this post, showing support to the Canadian. Kyrgios himself has been sidelined with an injury throughout 2023. The Aussie star, however, could be back on the ATP Tour after the Australian Open.
The hit and miss form of Denis Shapovalov
Denis Shapovalov was starting to fulfill his promise as an upcoming tennis star during the early 2020s. The Canadian star reached the Wimbledon semifinals in 2021 in what was the best tournament of his career. The 24-year-old defeated the Brits favorite Andy Murray and followed it up with victory over Roberto Bautista Agut to enter his first ever Grand Slam quarterfinal. The Canadian defeated Karen Khachanov in a thrilling five setter to reach the semi-finals. There he faced Novak Djokovic and lost in straight sets.
Shapovalov made it to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open in 2022, defeating Alexander Zverev in process. However, he lost to the would-be champion Rafael Nadal in five sets to be knocked out. The Canadian could not use these great runs as a springboard as he failed to make a real impact at Grand Slams. The 24-year-old got injured during the Wimbledon 2023 and withdrew from the American and Asian swing of the season. The Canadian is still recovering from injuries and his comeback is still not confirmed.
