Despite already peaking into the Top 10 of the ATP Rankings, Denis Shapovalov still awaits big success at a major.
The 23-year-old Canadian reached the semifinals at Wimbledon in 2021, and last year, he played quarterfinals at the Australian Open. If he wants to avoid a major drop in the rankings, Shapovalov will need to step up and play even better than last year, and he thinks he's ready for it.
“There’s still a lot of things to try to realize and put together and I’m still working in that direction. But I definitely feel like I’m more of a complete player than I did last year or in the years before. So it definitely is coming together."
The Canadian also discussed his approach to matches against lower-ranked players, as he seemed to have struggles with those in the past. On the other hand, his aggressive playing style benefited him against higher-ranked players as he managed to beat likes of Rafael Nadal, Alexander Zverev and Stefanos Tsitsipas in the past.
“I want to always go for it and play big, but that’s probably not necessary against every player. Against the big guys that’s when I’ll probably need to use it a bit more. But against lower-ranked guys, it’s about implementing a solid game where I can win 90 or 95 per cent of the time. I think that’s something that I’ve been able to do much better.”
The Canadian already focuses on the first Grand Slam tournament of the season, and according to his own words, the conditions in Melbourne suit him.
“It definitely does suit my game. I’ve always felt like I’ve played well in Australia, whether it was leading up to the Slam or in the Slam. So I definitely feel like my chances are good here.”
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