Denis Shapovalov has had a terrific year, highlighted by a run to the fourth round of the US Open. The Canadian teenager might be feeling giddy about his swift rise into the Top 100, but the young star revealed that some established stars have welcomed him onto the tour.
Shapovalov: “Actually, a couple weeks ago in Basel, Roger was about to leave and he got out of the car to come and talk to my team for five or ten minutes – he was on his way somewhere, At a certain point I just stopped and was thinking “wait a minute. Why is Roger going out of his way to talk to my team? What is going on?”
The Canadian also highlighted the changes in his life as media attention on him has increased: “My life has changed. Everything is on social media these days. Everywhere I go, people are asking me for pictures, autographs – it’s definitely different,’ he added. ‘But I still try to hang out with my friends, do some low-key stuff, chill out, play some video games and at the end of the day just be a normal 18-year-old sometimes.”
Shapovalov had an excellent year that saw him earn recognition from his peers with them selecting him as the ATP’s Most Improved Player of the Year. His meteoric rise saw him move up from No.250 to a year-end ranking of No.51.
