Denis Shapovalov facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Denis Shapovalov

Shapovalov at the 2022 French Open
Full name	Denis Viktorovich Shapovalov
Country (sports)	Canada
Residence	Nassau, The Bahamas
Born	(1999-04-15) April 15, 1999 (age 26) Tel Aviv, Israel
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Turned pro	2017
Plays	Left-handed (one-handed backhand)
Coach	Janko Tipsarević (2024–)
Prize money	US $ 13,508,646
Singles
Career record	222 - 186
Career titles	3
Highest ranking	No. 10 (September 21, 2020)
Current ranking	No. 30 (30 June 2025)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	QF (2022)
French Open	3R (2023, 2024)
Wimbledon	SF (2021)
US Open	QF (2020)
Doubles
Career record	62 - 58
Career titles	0
Highest ranking	No. 44 (February 24, 2020)
Current ranking	No. 338 (30 June 2025)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	2R (2021)
French Open	1R (2020)
US Open	QF (2020)
Team competitions
Davis Cup	W (2022) Record: 13–9 (59.09%)

Denis Viktorovich Shapovalov (born April 15, 1999) is a professional tennis player from Canada. He reached a career-high ranking of world No. 10 in singles on September 21, 2020. Denis has won three singles titles on the ATP Tour.

His best performance at a Grand Slam tournament was reaching the semifinals at Wimbledon in 2021. He also achieved a career-high doubles ranking of world No. 44 in February 2020.

Denis is known for his exciting, aggressive playing style. He is left-handed and uses a powerful one-handed backhand. His strong serves and forehands make him a tough opponent. He often uses a serve-and-volley tactic to finish points quickly.

As a junior player, Denis was ranked as high as No. 2 in the world. He won two junior Grand Slam titles. These included the doubles title at the 2015 US Open and the singles title at the 2016 Wimbledon Championships.

In 2017, he became the youngest player to reach the semifinals of an ATP Tour Masters 1000 tournament at the Canadian Open. His fellow players voted him the ATP Most Improved Player and ATP Star of Tomorrow that year. He also won the Lionel Conacher Award as Canada's male athlete of the year.

Early Life and Tennis Beginnings

Denis Viktorovich Shapovalov was born in Tel Aviv, Israel. His mother, Tessa Shapovalova, was a tennis player in Israel and for the USSR national team. She moved from the Soviet Union to Tel Aviv with Denis' father, Viktor Shapovalov. Later, she became a tennis coach in Vaughan, Ontario, Canada.

Denis' family moved from Israel to Canada before his first birthday. They settled in Vaughan, Ontario. He started playing tennis at age 5 at the Richmond Hill Country Club. His mother worked there as a coach.

Denis quickly became very passionate about tennis. To help him train more, his mother opened her own tennis academy called TessaTennis in Vaughan. This gave Denis a home base for training and allowed her to teach other young players. Denis attended Stephen Lewis Secondary School. He is often called "Shapo" or "Deni."

Junior Career Highlights

When Denis was 13, his mother hired Adriano Fuorivia as his coach. Adriano traveled with Denis to tournaments while his parents managed the academy. This partnership lasted four years. During this time, Denis won many junior and professional titles.

• In 2015, he won the US Open Junior Doubles title with Félix Auger-Aliassime.
• In 2016, he won the Wimbledon Junior Singles title.
• In October 2015, Denis and fellow Canadians Félix Auger-Aliassime and Benjamin Sigouin won Canada's first Junior Davis Cup title.

Denis had a strong junior career, winning 86 matches and losing 32.

Professional Career

Starting Out (2015–2016)

In late 2015, Denis won his first professional doubles title in Florida. In January 2016, he won his first professional singles title in Weston, Florida. He continued to win more singles titles in Memphis and Orange Park, Florida.

In July 2016, Denis played in his first ATP main draw tournament in Washington. The next week, he played in the Rogers Cup in Canada. There, he surprised everyone by beating world No. 19 Nick Kyrgios in his first tour-level win.

Breakthrough Year (2017)

Shapovalov at the 2017 Queen's Club Championships

In February 2017, Denis played for the Canada Davis Cup team. During a match, he accidentally hit the umpire with a ball. This led to him being disqualified.

However, Denis quickly bounced back. He won his first ATP Challenger title in Drummondville, Canada. He was the youngest Canadian to win a Challenger title at that time. In July, he won another Challenger title in Gatineau.

His biggest moment came at the Canadian Open in August. He defeated world No. 2 Rafael Nadal, which was his first match against a top 10 player. He then reached the semifinals, becoming the youngest player ever to do so at an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event.

At the US Open, Denis had to qualify for the main draw. He then beat No. 8 seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and reached the fourth round. This made him the youngest player to reach the fourth round of the US Open since 1989. After this, his ranking rose to world No. 51.

Climbing the Ranks (2018)

Shapovalov at the 2018 US Open

Denis started 2018 by reaching the semifinals at the Delray Beach Open. He also had strong performances at the Miami Open, reaching the fourth round.

During the clay court season, he made history at the Madrid Open. He became the youngest semifinalist in the tournament's history. These wins helped him enter the ATP Top 30 for the first time. He was the youngest player in the top 30 since 2005.

At the US Open, Denis reached the third round. He played a thrilling five-set match against Kevin Anderson but lost.

First ATP Title and Masters Final (2019)

In 2019, Denis continued to improve. He reached the semifinals of the Miami Open, where he lost to Roger Federer. This result helped him enter the Top 20 in the world rankings.

On October 20, 2019, Denis won his first ATP title at the Stockholm Open. He defeated Filip Krajinović in the final. Later that year, at the Paris Masters, he reached his first Masters 1000 final. He lost to Novak Djokovic but finished the year ranked No. 15.

Denis and Vasek Pospisil led Canada to its first-ever Davis Cup final. They defeated strong teams like Russia and the United States.

Major Quarter-final and Top 10 Debut (2020)

Denis started 2020 at the ATP Cup, helping Team Canada reach the quarterfinals. He had a tough first-round exit at the Australian Open.

After a break due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Denis returned strong at the US Open. He reached his first major quarter-final, becoming the first Canadian man to do so in the Open Era. He played a long, five-set match but lost.

In September 2020, Denis made his top 10 debut in the ATP singles rankings, reaching a career-high of No. 10.

First Major Semifinal (2021)

Shapovalov at the 2021 Wimbledon Championships

In 2021, Denis reached his first clay-court final at the Geneva Open, but lost. He then had a fantastic run at Wimbledon.

Seeded tenth, he defeated Andy Murray and Roberto Bautista Agut to reach his first Wimbledon quarter-final. He then won a five-set match against Karen Khachanov to reach his first major semifinal. There, he faced the defending champion Novak Djokovic and lost in a close match. This success brought him back into the top 10 rankings.

He finished 2021 by reaching the final of the Stockholm Open again, but lost to Tommy Paul.

Davis Cup Champion (2022)

Denis started 2022 by helping Canada win its first-ever ATP Cup title. He and Félix Auger-Aliassime secured key wins against Spain in the final.

At the Australian Open, Denis reached his first quarter-final there, upsetting third seed Alexander Zverev. He then lost a close five-set match to Rafael Nadal.

Later in 2022, Denis reached the final of the Korea Open and the Vienna Open.

The biggest achievement of 2022 was winning the Davis Cup with Team Canada. Denis, along with Félix Auger-Aliassime and Vasek Pospisil, defeated Australia in the finals to secure Canada's first Davis Cup title.

Recent Seasons (2023–2025)

In 2023, Denis reached the third round of the Australian Open and the French Open. He also made it to the fourth round of Wimbledon.

In 2024, he recorded his 200th career win at the Shanghai Masters. He also won his second ATP Tour title at the Belgrade Open, five years after his first.

In February 2025, Denis won the 2025 Dallas Open. This was the biggest title of his career so far. He defeated three top 10 players on his way to the title. This win helped him return to the top 35 in the world rankings.

Playing Style

Denis Shapovalov is a left-handed player known for his exciting and aggressive style. He uses a single-handed backhand, which is one of his most famous shots. Coaches have compared his backhand to that of Stan Wawrinka, noting its power from his flexibility and racquet speed.

His overall game is described as "explosive." He has a powerful forehand that goes well with his strong backhand. Denis also often uses serve-and-volley tactics, especially on fast courts. This helps him surprise opponents and win points quickly. His serve is also very powerful.

Because of his aggressive style, Denis sometimes makes more errors. However, he believes playing this way is when he feels best on court. He once said, "When I am playing ugly I do not feel comfortable... when everything flows it is very hard to outplay me."

Coaching Team

Denis has been coached by his mother, Tessa Shapovalova, since he was young. She helped him develop his one-handed backhand and his skills at the net.

Over the years, he has worked with other coaches to improve his game. These include Martin Laurendeau, Rob Steckley, and his junior coach, Adriano Fuorivia. In 2019, former world No. 8 Mikhail Youzhny joined his team to help with shot selection. Youzhny helped him improve his backhand slice.

More recently, Jamie Delgado joined his team in 2021, followed by his Davis Cup teammate Peter Polansky in 2022. In 2024, Janko Tipsarević became his coach.

Personal Life

Denis has been in a relationship with Swedish tennis player Mirjam Björklund since June 2019. They got engaged on July 20, 2023.

Denis is fluent in Russian. He holds Canadian citizenship and lives in Nassau, Bahamas.

Music Interests

Denis is also interested in music, especially rap. In 2019, he performed a short rap at a tournament. This inspired him to explore music more. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he set up a home studio to write and record his own songs.

He has mentioned G-Eazy, Drake, and Eminem as his musical influences. He describes his style as a mix of Eminem's aggressive style and G-Eazy's smooth voice.

In August 2020, Denis released his first rap single, "Night Train," under the name "Shapo." The song talks about his journey as an athlete. The next month, he released his second single, "Drip," which is a French-English track featuring French tennis player Corentin Moutet.

Awards and Recognition

• 2017 – ATP Star of Tomorrow
• 2017 – ATP Most Improved Player
• 2017 – Tennis Canada Male Player of the Year
• 2017 – Lionel Conacher Award

Career Statistics

Grand Slam Tournament Performance

Singles

This table shows Denis's performance at the major Grand Slam tournaments.

Doubles

This table shows Denis's performance in doubles at the major Grand Slam tournaments.

ATP 1000 Tournaments: Singles Final

Denis has reached one final at an ATP Masters 1000 tournament.

Result	Year	Tournament	Surface	Opponent	Score
Loss	2019	Paris Masters, France	Hard (indoor)	Novak Djokovic	3–6, 4–6

See also

In Spanish: Denis Shapovalov para niños