Denis Shapovalov is an Israeli-born Canadian tennis player, born in 1999.
๐ Denis Shapovalov History
Shapovalov began playing tennis aged 5, under the supervision of his mother, Tessa, who was an accomplished tennis player herself. Tessa Shapovalov has coached her son since, sometimes with the input of other external coaches.
Shapovalov began making appearances on the ATP circuit in 2016, after an incredibly fruitful junior career. His first ATP match win came in front of a home crowd, when he beat Nick Kyrgios at the Rogers Cup (National Bank Open) in Toronto. In 2018, Shapovalov became one of the youngest top-30 debutants ever, and a year later he entered the top-15 for the first time. Since then, Shapovalov's game has become more rounded, and he has reached the quarterfinal stage or better of 3 of the 4 Grand Slams.
Shapovalov plays with an aggressive style which is enabled by his strong serve, forehand, and backhand. His one-handed backhand is particularly recognisable: Shapovalov plays the shot quite elegantly, with a very smooth motion and an extended follow-through. He has been known to jump into the shot when using it to hit winners.