Denis Shapovalov thrived on Canadian courts in the early days of his professional career.
As a teenager, Shapovalov made his mark on home soil at the National Bank Open. Then the Canadian began to make deep runs at big events, soaring up the rankings and into the Top 10. Now, the 26-year-old boasts a handful of ATP titles to his name.
2015
Shapovalov was part of Canadian tennis history during his time in the juniors in 2015. A month after winning the US Open junior doubles title with countryman Félix Auger-Aliassime, Shapovalov was a part of Canada’s first-ever Junior Davis Cup triumph.
2016
At Wimbledon in 2016, the Canuck capped off his juniors career by claiming the singles title at the All-England Club, becoming the third Canadian to hoist a junior Grand Slam singles trophy.
The 17-year-old was then given a chance to shine on the ATP Tour in July. After making his ATP main-draw debut as a wildcard in Washington, Shapovalov was awarded the same opportunity at the National Bank Open in Toronto, just minutes away from his home.
The Richmond Hillian went on to earn his first tour-level win, stunning world No. 19 Nick Kyrgios in his opening match on Centre Court.
2017
At the 2017 NBO in Montreal, Shapovalov once again made headlines on home soil, taking down two greats of the game. The 18-year-old defeated former world No. 3 Juan Martin del Potro in straight sets in the second round before coming back from a set down to stun world No. 2 Rafael Nadal in his next match.
Shapovalov’s run eventually ended one round short of the final as he became the youngest player to reach a Masters 1000 semifinal in just his sixth ATP main-draw appearance.
South of the border, the Canuck continued to impress. After qualifying for the US Open, Shapovalov beat Daniil Medvedev and No. 8 seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga en route to a fourth-round finish.
The pair of breakthrough runs helped Shapovalov crack the Top 50 before the end of the year.
2018
The Canadian’s rise up the rankings continued in 2018. In Madrid, Shapovalov reached his second Masters 1000 semifinal, defeating two Top 25 players including Canadian No. 1 Milos Raonic.
Read also: Auger-Aliassime Cracks Top 5 with ATP Finals Performance
His result in the Spanish capital brought him into the Top 30 as he later attained a then career-high of No. 23.
2019
In 2019, another Masters 1000 semifinal finish in Miami moved Shapovalov into the Top 20 but the Richmond Hillian was still chasing his first ATP final. Once the indoor hard-court season hit, his shot at titles came in a bunch.
Shapovalov made his first final in Stockholm where he didn’t drop a set on his way to securing his maiden tour title.
Then, at the Paris Masters, the Canuck took down Top 15 players Fabio Fognini, Alexander Zverev, and Gael Monfils to reach the semifinal. Shapovalov made his first Masters 1000 final after a walkover but fell short of the title against world No. 1 Novak Djokovic. The 20-year-old was inching closer to the Top 10, clinching a year-end spot in the Top 15.
A few weeks later, Shapovalov and Vasek Pospisil led Canada to a historic first Davis Cup final, losing out to Nadal and hosts Spain for the title.
2020
Shapovalov’s deep runs at Masters 1000s began to translate onto the Grand Slam stage in 2020. At the US Open, the Canadian made the second week of a major for the second time after defeating American No. 19 seed Taylor Fritz.
Then, Shapovalov notched his seventh-career Top 10 win against David Goffin to reach his maiden Grand Slam quarter-final, where his run ended.
The southpaw soon became a member of the Top 10 thanks to another Masters 1000 semifinal finish on the dirt in Rome. The result led Shapovalov to a career-high of 10th in the ATP rankings.
2021
Wimbledon in 2021 was where Shapovalov one-upped his US Open finish. For the first time in his career, the Canadian No. 1 found himself in the final four of a major, defeating two-time Wimbledon titlist Andy Murray, world No. 10 Roberto Bautista Agut, and No. 25 seed Karen Khachanov on his path.
Shapovalov lost to eventual champion and world No. 1 Djokovic in the semifinal, but the run put him back in the Top 10.
2022
After leading his country to a first-ever Davis Cup final three years prior, Shapovalov was once again a part of Canadian tennis history in 2022.
The Richmond Hillian, alongside Pospisil and Auger-Aliassime, reached his second Davis Cup final as Canada battled Australia for the title. Shapovalov won his match against Thanasi Kokkinakis in straight sets before Auger-Aliassime wrapped up the tie, clinching Canada’s first Davis Cup title.
2024-2025
Shapovalov hit 200 career ATP wins in 2024, but his title drought was now up to five years. With just a month left in the season, the Canadian qualified for the main draw in Belgrade and was in a spot to finally get his hands on a trophy.
The 25-year-old cruised from the round of 16 through to the final, where he defeated Serb Hamad Medjedovic to win the title.
Trophies weren’t as hard to come by in 2025. In February, Shapovalov took down three Top 10 players – Fritz, Tommy Paul, and Casper Ruud – to secure his biggest-career title at the ATP 500 in Dallas.
Five months later, the Canuck dropped just 18 games in his four matches in Los Cabos, en route to hoisting the trophy.
Shapovalov doubled his title tally in 2025 and, now that he’s scoring silverware again, the Canadian No. 2’s resume is sure to keep growing.
Feature Photo: Peter Power
