'These are the matches I live for': Denis Shapovalov relishes US Open Clash with World No.1 Jannik Sinner

Canada’s Denis Shapovalov has stated that he is ‘looking forward’ to facing the world number one Jannik Sinner in the third round of the US Open. The 26-year-old secured his spot in the last 32 after beating France’s Valentin Royer with a score of 7-6, 3-6, 7-6, 6-3.

On the other hand, defending champion Sinner outclassed Australia’s Alexei Popyrin in the second round contest of the fourth and final Grand Slam of the year in straight sets with a score of 6-3, 6-2, 6-2. It will be the second meeting between the two players in professional tennis.

Their previous meeting took place in the first round of the Australian Open in 2021, where Shapovalov came out on top in a five-set thriller with a score of 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4. Shapovalov spoke to the media after the match and stated that he did remember that much, but believes the fixture no longer holds significance, as both players have improved significantly compared to their previous performances. Shapovalov also highlighted the strengths of Sinner, who according to him, does not give much to his opponents in a match.

“Yeah, I remember it was a very tough match back then,” said Shapovalov. “Yeah, I believe I won it in five in the end, but it was a lot of back and forth and it was a very difficult first round for both of us, I think. So yeah, definitely a great match to look back on, but of course a lot has changed. I think Yannick's improved tremendously since that as well, and I believe that so have I. It's been a few years now, so definitely looking forward to another matchup with him. These are the type of matches that I kind of live for. I enjoy playing it, so I'm looking forward to it. He's got a lot of strengths, being the player that he is. He doesn't have many weaknesses, obviously he's solid from everywhere. I'm going to have to dictate and try to play my game and go for my strokes. I don't think he's not going to give too much away for me in the match. I just have to take what I can with him, take my opportunities as well when I get them, and try to stay aggressive and not let him dictate too much.”

Confidence is very high: Shapovalov

Shapovalov is going through an impressive season on a personal level. For the first time in his career, the 26-year-old has managed to lift two titles in a season at the highest level. Talking about his confidence going into the big match against arguably one of the best players in the world, Shapovalov stated that he feels his confidence is ‘very high’.

“I would say my confidence is very high,” he said. “I would say it's different than when I was young, and the confidence would be high, but it would be pretty fragile, I would say. I think now, and you can see with my results, that the confidence is there. Even if I have a bad few weeks or unlucky draws or a couple of tough matches, I'm able to bring it back and play at a high level when the next week comes. I think that's why I have been able to win three titles in less than 12 months. That's why I've been able to have so many great weeks recently. I definitely think the confidence is there. I'm playing great tennis today. It was not an easy match by any means. It was super high level and very difficult. I was able to pull through playing some incredibly big tennis, especially in that third set tiebreak there. I think it's a more solid confidence that I have in myself. I think it comes with age, but also knowing with the work that I've done and the team that I have around me, they're all putting in 100%. That also brings a lot of stability and a lot of confidence in each other.”

Shapovalov’s performances this year have come as a bit of a surprise, considering how difficult it was for him to compete at the highest level over the last two years with consistent fitness struggles. Shapovalov spoke about it and stated that he feels fortunate to have finally recovered from a serious knee injury. He also noted that it was the ‘toughest’ challenge to overcome the knee problem, where he had to show a lot of ‘patience’. Shapovalov further highlighted that even though he believes he is in a ‘good spot’ but also understands that there is more work to be done.

“I think I'm very grateful for going through what I did with my knee,” said Shapovalov. “It was definitely the toughest challenge I've ever had. First of all, not knowing if I would ever be back on court pain-free. There was a lot of doubtful days and tough moments. It was a long road to get back, even when I started back up. There was a lot of difficult matches. I wasn't getting the wins, and I was up in the matches, or the pain would come back in the knees. It was a really, really tough road, but I'm very grateful for my team and the close ones around me because they kept me going forward and kept reassuring me that the results and everything will come. I had to stay very, very patient last year. I only got the result I wanted the last week of the year, winning Belgrade, so it was definitely worthwhile. Honestly, that title meant 100 times more to me than the first title that I won in Stockholm. It was huge for me. It's been a road to get back. It's never easy to climb back the rankings. There's a lot of new young guys coming up, and your name is not as fearful. When you're 10th in the world, it has a little bit more emphasis than when you're climbing back the rankings. I've definitely had to work to where I am, and I think I'm in a great spot. Winning two titles this year, playing some great tennis, into the third round here. I have a shot against a guy like Yannick. It's great for me, and I look forward to it.”