Denis Shapovalov is concentrating on a return to the highest of males’s tennis.
His efficiency through the previous season has instilled a perception within the once-rising Canadian star that he’ll get there.
Whereas prime seeds Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner captivated the tennis world in 2025 — and Félix Auger-Aliassime commanded Canadian consideration together with his semifinal run on the U.S. Open — Shapovalov quietly constructed a comeback yr.
“It is apparent that when I will play at my prime degree … I will push the highest guys,” he mentioned.
Shapovalov, who begins his 2026 season on the Brisbane Worldwide this weekend, captured two ATP titles — together with his first 500-level event with wins over three top-10 opponents on the Dallas Open — and returned to a top-25 rating for the primary time since August 2023.
The 26-year-old from Richmond Hill, Ont., completed the yr at No. 23, steadily climbing again from as little as a hundred and fortieth after a severe knee harm derailed his 2023 season and prolonged into 2024.
At least former No. 1 and influential tennis podcaster Andy Roddick has taken discover, calling Shapovalov’s resurgence one of many “under-told tales” of 2025.
“Going from 150 and form of having misplaced the plot a little bit bit and perhaps being uninspired and you then lookup and … Shapo is at 23 on the planet,” Roddick mentioned on the Dec. 23 episode of his “Served with Andy Roddick” podcast. “That is a giant comeback story that I do not assume anybody has talked about sufficient.
Shapovalov says he’s already proven that he can battle with the most effective, however sustaining a aggressive benefit at some point of a gruelling match, a lot much less a full season, has typically eluded the participant recognized for his aggressive model — and occasional on-court outbursts.
Just a few rounds earlier than Auger-Aliassime misplaced to Sinner within the U.S. Open semifinal, Shapovalov took the primary set in opposition to the then-world No. 1 however misplaced the subsequent three.
“We noticed that after I was enjoying in opposition to Jannik Sinner on the U.S. Open, after I’m on my highest degree, I will compete with the highest guys,” he mentioned. “We felt that the largest distinction is that perhaps bodily I are likely to drop a little bit bit.”
Shapovalov burst onto the tour with spectacular outcomes as a teen.
At solely 18, Shapovalov shocked Rafael Nadal within the third spherical of the 2017 Rogers Cup in Montreal, surging from outdoors the highest 200 to No. 51 that yr. By 21, he cracked the highest 10.
Producing extra constant outcomes, he says, is the important thing to breaking into the highest ranks as soon as once more.
Shapovalov has labored with Swedish coach Mikael Tillström since final summer time, redoubling his dedication to coaching and pushing his bodily limits, hoping to increase his high-level play for longer durations.
“Returning to the highest 10 has been a objective since I got here again from my harm. That also stays in my ideas day by day, each apply. That is what I am going in direction of,” he mentioned. “(In 2026), I want to go deep within the Slams, go deep within the Masters.”
In terms of competitors, nevertheless, Shapovalov plans to play fewer occasions.
“It is about holding that consistency,” he mentioned in a video name from Dubai, the place he spent the majority of his pre-season coaching. “And one of the best ways for me to strive to do this is to to start with, play much less, play after I’m contemporary.”
Although solely 26 and in his so-called bodily prime, Shapovalov is not the free-swinging child with a backwards ballcap.
He now has to handle accidents – he strained his again on the Stockholm Open in October, and his knee flared up late within the yr – and life off the courtroom has modified as properly. Shapovalov married his longtime girlfriend and fellow tennis participant Mirjam Bjorklund (now Shapovalova) in September.
Trying again, Shapovalov admits he misplaced his approach after breaking into the highest 10 for the primary time.
“The rating was tremendous necessary to me, to the purpose the place after I acquired there, it form of felt like, OK, now what?” he mentioned. “You form of freeze, and you do not know actually what to do from there. You virtually play an excessive amount of since you’re like, ought to I preserve pushing, attempt to get even increased?
“You lose a little bit little bit of doing the issues that acquired you there within the first place.”
Shapovalov additionally says that as a substitute of approaching every match with one thing to show, he can now play freely.
“I can attempt to be the most effective of my talents with out feeling the stress of not realizing if I will ever get to the highest 10 or if I will ever get to the semis of a Slam,” he mentioned. “It is about seeing if I can push myself even additional, and I believe these issues actually excite me.”
Whereas returning to the highest 10 is the objective, Shapovalov believes he would nonetheless be at peace if he fails to succeed in these heights once more.
“I would be fully OK if, God forbid, I acquired injured tomorrow, and I could not play once more,” he mentioned.
“I might simply be tremendous grateful for every part that I have been in a position to do that far.”
