Shapovalov To Start Clay-Court Season Early As He Signs Up For Houston Open
ATP
Denis Shapovalov will begin his 2024 clay season early as he signed up for a rare clay-court tournament in the United States, the Houston Open.
Shapovalov missed a huge part of last year due to various injuries, but he's back this year and has been playing regularly in recent weeks. His play has been inconsistent, with some good performances but also some bad ones, which is to be expected.
Nobody really plays well immediately after a long layoff, at least generally. Shapovalov will need more matches to find his best tennis, but for the most part, he was pretty solid.
It was still easy to spot that signature style of his in most matches. The first clay events in the calendar are the ones in South America, but the top players rarely play them.
Most top players begin their clay season at the Monte-Carlo Masters, but Shapovalov will actually begin one week earlier.
Houston is the only ATP event in the United States played on clay, and that's why it's so rare. It's a bit of a different clay compared to the one in Europe and presents a nice chance for players to transition smoothly.
Shapovalov has never played in Houston before, but he's going there this year. The event is delighted to have him and tournament director Bronwyn Greer released a statement about the Canadian signing up for the tournament.
"We are thrilled Denis will be coming to River Oaks for the first time. We are so fortunate that many players, such as Frances, do come back year after year to play our event. It’s also very exciting for our fans to be able to see players like Denis, Ben and Chris up close and personal for the first time."- Tournament director on Shapovalov playing at the event
The event runs from March 30th till the April 7th, 2024, when the best of the best will compete at the tournament also known as the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships.
