Next Gen ATP Finals We Present...DENIS SHAPOVALOV (CAN)

DENIS SHAPOVALOV is a professional tennis player from Canada. He was born in Tel Aviv, Israel, the son of Viktor and Tessa Shapovalov. Denis`s family moved from Israel to Canada, before Denis`s first birthday. His career High Singles Ranking of No.49 on October 23, 2017. His coaches are his mother Tessa and Martin Laurendeau.

Junior career:

Denis had a lot of success during his entire junior career, but he failed to reach the first place in the junior rankings. Denis began playing junior tournaments when he was 13 years old when he played his first tournament in Canada at the G5 Tournament in Burlington. He was defeated in the first round of Wilson (USA) in three sets.

And the next tournament he played in Burlington in April 2013 when he played 3 great matches and reached the quarter-finals where he was defeated by Beran (CAN) 6-3,2-6,1-6. During 2013, Denis continues with junior tournaments and plays one semifinal and one quarter finals on tournaments in Canada.

The first signs of his tennis potential, Denis showed at the end of October 2013, when he came to the G5 Tournament in Burlington without a lost set in all 6 matches. In the finals, Denis met with Mizushima (JPN) and after a great fight and excellent games in both sets, he came to a victory (6-4,7-5).

Great results are crowned by winning another G5 tournament in the same place in Burlington, in April 2014. In the final, another great Canadian tennis player won, Benjamin Sigouin in three sets 4-6,6-1,6-4! In the spring of 2014, Denis additionally improves his junior rankings to win an even stronger tournament in June, the G4 ITF Junior category in San Jose, Costa Rica, defeating Canadian tennis player Benjamin Sigouin, this time much easier in two sets 6-2.6-2. In the same tournament, he won doubles in pair with Galarneau (CAN).

By the end of 2014, Denis records solid results in stronger categories tournaments. He managed to score and win at prestigious junior tournaments Eddie Herr and Orange Bowl in Plantation. At Eddie Herr, Denis was defeated in the second round by a great player from Hungary, Mate Valkusz in three sets 7-6,3-6,2-6. On Orange Bowl, after two great games in the first two rounds, Denis was defeated by Taylor Fritz, great American tennis hope in two sets, 4-6,3-6 and ended his last competition in 2014.

At the beginning of 2015, Denis also played his first junior GS tournament Australian Open. In the first round, he defeated Hubert Hurkacz (POL) and three sets, 7-6,3-6,9-7 after a major battle, then defeated in the second round by Marc Polmans (AUS) 1-6,1-6.

In the summer of 2015, Denis makes good results and the highest achievement in August 2015 and College Park, MD, USA on the G1 Tournament. In the final, after a brilliant 5 games played, he was defeated by another great Canadian tennis hope, Felix Auger-Aliassime in two sets, 2-6,6-7.

In 2016, Denis played only three junior tournaments and achieved exceptional results that led him to the best junior ranking, No. 2. On the grass he managed to win the prestigious Nike Junior International Roehampton (GBR) and Wimbledon where Alex De Minaur (AUS) defeated in three sets 4-6,6-1,6-3 in the final. The entire Wimbledon tournament, Denis played brilliantly and won exceptionally good players such as Tsitsipas (GRE), Chung (KOR), Valkusz (HUN) and thus completed a great junior career.

                      

SENIOR CAREER:

Denis played the first ITF Futures tournament when he was 14 years old at home in Toronto. He was defeated in Q3 by Collin Johns (USA) in two sets. During 2014, he played only two futures tournaments, both in Canada where he won the WC and was defeated in the first round by Evan King (USA) 2-6,4-6 and Nicolas Rosenzweig (FRA) 1-6,3-6. From summer 2015, Denis starts to perform more seriously and more often at senior tournaments by playing 5 futures tournaments and challenger in Granby. By that time, he recorded the greatest success in futures in Pensacola, FL, where he reached the semifinals. In the semifinals, Denis is defeated by Wiersholm (USA) and two sets, 2-6,3-6. These were the first sensitive points for progress on the ATP list.

The first futures tournament, Denis won already at the start of 2016 in Weston, FL. Without a lost set, Denis qualified from the qualifications to win in the Finals Sakamoto (BRA) in two sets 7-6,6-3.

In March 2016, Denis comes to the semifinals of Drummondville Challenger. This is the first serious success for Denis in a senior career. In the semifinals he was defeated by Daniel Evans (GBR) in three sets after a great fight 6-4,6-7,4-6. Denis was very close to going to the finals, but he failed to take advantage of several chances during the second set and bring the match to a close. So he paid tribute to inexperience but also got the big points for the ATP list.

In April, she won two more futures tournaments in Memphis, TN and Orange Park, FL, and continues her breakthrough on the ATP list. On July 18, 2016, Denis debuts at the ATP Tour in Washington. Denis played a great match but was defeated in three sets by Lukas Lacko (SVK) 6-7,6-4,4-6. Next week, Denis will reach the first ATP win at Canadian Open in Toronto. After a great play, Denis managed to surprise Nick Kyrgios in three sets of 7-6,3-6,6-3. In the second round, Denis failed to beat Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) 4-6,3-6. These results will only be an indication of the great rise of Denis in the coming months.

2017:

The first match in 2017, Denis played on the first day of 2017 at Happy Valley Challenger where he lost in qualifications to Brydan Klein (GBR) 4-6,5-7. Next week, Denis goes to Canberra, AUS where he records two wins and was defeated in QF by Steve Darcis (BEL) 0-6,6-7.

After two defeats at the Maui Challenger and the Tournament in Marseille, Denis went on two futures tournaments in Canada, winning first in the Gleb Saharov (FRA) finals while surrendering to the same opponent for the injury on the other. In March, Denis wins his first Challenger. At Drummondville Challenger (CAN), Denis gets to a title without losing a set. Ruben Bemelmans (BEL) was 6-3,6-2 in the finals. Next week on the Guadalajara Challenger, Denis was defeated in the final by Mirza Basic (BIH) 4-6,4-6. These excellent results will bring Denis to the best career ATP rank.

Here is LINK of the FINAL DRUMMONDVILLE CHALLENGER SHAPOVALOV-BEMELMANS.

During the spring, after two great challenger tournaments, Denis recorded several tied defeats on the challengers. His ascent to the ATP TOP 50 Rankings starts in July. First, he wins Gatineau Challenger on home ground winning the finals Peter Polansky (CAN) 6-1,3-6,6-3. Next week at Granby Challenger, Denis comes to the semifinals where he is defeated by the same player in two sets. Denis gets a WC for Canadian Open in Montreal in mid-August. In the first round of the tournament, Denis was overwhelmed by Dutra Silva (BRA) 4-6,7-6,6-4 after a lot of reversal. The second round was awaited by the great tennis player, Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG). Denis played a great match and managed to get out of the Del Potro tournament in two sets 6-3,7-6. The Biggest win of his career, Denis recorded in the third round of the Canadian Open, defeating Rafael Nadal (ESP) in three sets of 3-6,6-4,7-6. In the quarter-finals, Denis had some easier opponent Adrian Mannarino (FRA) and managed to return to the match after losing the first set and win 2-6,6-3,6-4. In the semifinal, Denis did not have the strength to match Alexander Zverev (GER) and was defeated in two sets 4-6,5-7.

He debuted on the Grand Slam tournament at the US Open. He managed to qualify and in the first round he beats another young great tennis player from Russia, Daniil Medvedev 7-5,6-1,6-2. In the second round, Denis played against great French Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and made a surprise of 6-4,6-4,7-6. In the third round, after a brilliant 3 sets, Kyle Edmund (GBR) was forced to surrender in the fourth set for injury. At R16, Denis met with Pablo Carreno Busta (ESP) and he managed to offer great resistance in all three sets but was defeated in all three tie-breaks.

At the end of the season, Denis played two matches in the Davis Cup against India and recorded two victories against Bhambri, Ramanathan. He also played in Shanghai but was defeated in the first round of Troicki (SRB). Basel was defeated in the second round by Adrian Mannarino (FRA) in three sets. Denis's results throughout the year 2017 and the breakthrough in the top 50 on the ATP list promise an even higher climb to the top of the ATP list in 2018. Follow him at the Next Gen ATP Finals tournament where we believe he will provide great games.

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