Denis Shapovalov is one of the most promising young players on the ATP Tour. Here we delve deep into some facts about the rising tennis star.
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Canadian tennis star Denis Shapovalov is perhaps best remembered for being the youngest player to enter the top 10 of the ATP rankings.
He pulled off this feat in 2018 and although his ranking has since gone down a bit, it hasn’t hurt his reputation at all.
Shapovalov is seen as one of brightest young prospects on the Tour right now. And there is plenty of evidence to back up why many see him as a future Grand Slam winner.
The southpaw has been a consistently threatening presence, whether in ATP events or Grand Slams. And given he still has age on his side, one can believe he will only get better.
Here we look at all you need to know about the first Canadian since Milos Raonic to reach the top 10 of the rankings.
Denis Shapovalov has a dominance over both his backhand and forehand; indeed, he is one of few to enjoy a one-handed backhand left topspin.
The move has been used on a fairly regular basis and often to devastating effect. The Canadian’s extremely dominant forehand is also a massive asset.
Shapalov possesses a dominating serve with supreme power and accuracy. This ensures he can earn numerous points when on serve.
He is also very quick on his feet and his on-court movement is both sharp and smart. His stamina also stands out as opponents struggle to wear him down.
Shapovalov was born on April 15, 1999 meaning he is currently 22 years old.
Shapovalov is in a relationship with Mirjam Bjorklund, a young tennis player from Sweden. They began dating in around June 2019.
The estimated net worth of the rising tennis star is around USD 4 million. So far in his career, he’s earned more than USD 7 million in winnings from tournaments.
According to his official ATP profile, he stands at 1.85m, or 6 feet and one inch.
As of now, Shapovalov is ranked 18th in the ATP rankings for men’s singles tennis players. Doubtless that will be something he wants to improve in the coming season.
Shapovalov achieved his best Grand Slam result in the 2021 season. It came at Wimbledon, when he made the semi-finals at the grass-court Grand Slam.
Shapovalov’s known family consists of three members. His father is named Viktor Shapovalov and his mother is Tessa Shapovalov.
Denis also has a brother named Evgeniy Shapovalov.
So far in his career, Shapovalov has had two major coaches and will have a third for the 2022 season.
His first coach was his mother Tessa Shapovalov, who also runs a tennis academy in Canada. Afterwards he was coached by former world no. 8 Mikhail Youzhny, who was one of his favourite players.
For the upcoming season he will work with Jamie Delgado, who was at one time Andy Murray’s coach.
Shapovalov stands at 6 feet 1 inch, or 1.85m according to his official ATP page.
His parents are Viktor Shapovalov and Tessa Shapovalov.
He has one brother named Evgeniy Shapovalov.
He first started playing tennis with his mother aged 5. She would soon begin to coach him and his path to superstardom began in 2015. Alongside compatriot Felix Auger-Aliassime, he won the US Open junior doubles title.
The next year, he would win the Wimbledon junior title and then embark on his journey as a pro.
He turned professional in 2017 and made an immediate impact; by the end of the year he was named both ATP Newcomer of the Year and ATP Most Improved Player of the Year.
Since then, he won an ATP title at Stockholm in 2019 and also finished second in the Paris Masters. He also achieved a top-10 ranking spot in September 2020.
Besides tennis, he enjoys the Canadian favourite sport ice hockey.
Shapovalov is interested in rap music and is keen to make a career out of this passion. He’s even posted snippets of his own music across social media.
There are two famous people Shapovalov most wants to meet. One is rapper Eminem, and the other is ice hockey legend Wayne Gretzky.
Shapovalov is active on social media. His Twitter account can be found here and his Instagram account here. He is also on Facebook and his page can be found here.
