mtenis.com.pl

Q. You played with the top 15, former top 10, and you won three sets to love, routine win. Is that your new reality?
DENIS SHAPOVALOV: Yeah, but I don't think that win was any bit routine. I played unbelievable today, very high level. Yeah, I don't know why, but I just managed to stay loose and go for my shots the whole match, except a little bit at 5-3 or 5-4, serving for the third set. Got a little bit tight, stopped moving my feet on a couple shots, sailed some forehands.
Yeah, he did a good job to break me. He stayed mentally tough there. Yeah, I mean, I just stayed calm and just waited for my next chance and took it.
Q. Is that something you've always had, an ability to stay calm and keep loose when playing guys who in theory are supposed to be better, more experienced than you are?
DENIS SHAPOVALOV: No, I think it's been a long progress. I mean, yeah, I don't think I was always mentally solid as I am today. I've been working extremely hard on it with Marty and the rest of my team. Yeah, you know, I think it's improved quite a bit.
It also helps I've been in these situations constantly, playing these top guys. Against DelPo I was serving for the match and the same thing happened. It's a little bit easier the second time around and third time around. You get used to these situations.
Yeah, I knew I would have another chance.
Q. This is the biggest stadium in tennis. Any intimidation? Was there any adaptation you had to make?
DENIS SHAPOVALOV: I stayed loose from the beginning. I mean, I broke him first game. I mean, obviously it's intimidating, it's so big, there's so much going on. The screens are working during the points. Yeah, there's a lot of people moving and talking. It's not easy to play in.
But I don't know, I mean, I was playing loose. Like I said before the match, I was going in with nothing to lose. Yeah, I was having fun on the court. There were a couple times during the match I was just smiling, having a good time. I was enjoying the atmosphere. It's a dream come true for me to play a night match on Arthur Ashe. I mean, I grew up wanting to do this.
First of all, thank you to USTA for setting that up. But, yeah, I think I had a very fun night.
Q. I know you've moved on from what happened in October, but obviously you're playing Kyle again. Will it be hard not to think about that at all? Also he said that he felt it may have helped you because it made you mature maybe quicker than you would otherwise have done. What do you think about that?
DENIS SHAPOVALOV: Of course. I mean, I don't know, maybe you guys can tell me if, like, I've come a long way from the incident. Yeah, I've been working extremely hard on it. It's definitely helped me mature.
But I don't think this match has anything to do with it. I've apologized constantly before, and I continue to apologize for my actions. It's something I have to live with. But for me it's in the past and I'm a different person and a different player now. So it's a completely new match.
Q. Have you had a chance to look at the rest of the bottom half of the draw? Pretty wide open now. Do you see that as pretty wide open?
DENIS SHAPOVALOV: No. I mean, I'm playing Kyle Edmund who is so solid. He's an unbelievable player. He goes for his shots. He's not afraid to take it to the guy. There's no easy matches here.
I mean, yeah, for me, a guy like me... Maybe for a guy like Zverev or Federer, you could say it's open a bit. For a guy like me, every match is tough and I'm going to have to battle it out.
Q. First match on Arthur Ashe, how did you decide who was going to sit in your player box?
DENIS SHAPOVALOV: Well, I knew obviously my team was going to sit there. Yeah, I don't know. I'm pretty open to who can sit in my box. Obviously I needed to know the guy. I don't like it when people I don't know sit in my box.
Yeah, I mean, I leave that to my manager. He set it up.
Q. He takes care of that?
DENIS SHAPOVALOV: Yeah.
Q. You came a long way from a few years ago when you won the doubles with Felix. A win like tonight over Tsonga, does that legitimately make you feel more comfortable, that you are legitimate, for real, you belong here?
DENIS SHAPOVALOV: Definitely. I think every win that I've been going through, it's been securing anyone's doubts or even my own doubts, whether or not I belong. I belong with these guys, playing these high-level tournaments.
So this win, it's definitely another confidence boost. It shows that Montreal wasn't a fluke week. To do it back-to-back, it's not easy. I've had to go through qualifying, which is also stacked with super tough players.
So I'm extremely proud of myself for how long I've come. It's going to be another battle against Kyle. I'm going to do the best I can to take it to him. But, yeah, it's going to be a difficult match.
Q. Obviously the game plan was to go after his backhand. Are you surprised how well it worked?
DENIS SHAPOVALOV: I knew being a lefty would help me. Obviously I could take it more with the out-wide serve. It's my forehand to his backhand.
Yeah, I just think my shots were there when I needed them today. Yeah, like I mentioned, I stayed pretty loose throughout the match. It definitely helped me a lot. But, yeah, not every day is going to be this pretty. I'm going to have to try to figure out some things. Might be a little bit tougher in other matches.
Q. Having gone through qualifying, can that be either an advantage or disadvantage? Which way do you see it, having the extra matches, adding to fatigue or adding to momentum?
DENIS SHAPOVALOV: Yeah, it's a bit of both. Like you mentioned, the fatigue. I played five matches now. I'm feeling good, but if some of my matches were tougher, it could have been a serious issue. Yeah, also you never know who you're going to draw in quallies. Like I said, it's super stacked. It's not like it was 100% that I'm going to make it through it. I played some really touch matches.
On the other side, I've gotten to know the courts. Yeah, I've gotten to play those extra matches, extra points, that give me just that extra bit of confidence playing guys like Jo or Medvedev yesterday.
Q. You mentioned watching this tournament, always wanting to play on Ashe. Do you remember the first US Open you watched, who was playing?
DENIS SHAPOVALOV: That's a tough question. I don't even know how far back. The one match I do remember was sitting with my best friend watching I think it was Djokovic and Murray in the finals. I think Murray actually won that. Yeah, that's one of the big matches I remember.
Obviously it's a little bit tough to go that far back in time, to remember the first kind of matches I saw.
Q. You never played a match with so much of a buzz or noise. Probably never played a match where there's a lot of people had the extra thing to drink. Were you aware of any of that?
DENIS SHAPOVALOV: It was pretty funny. Like I said, I was enjoying it. I noticed a couple of guys had a little bit too much to drink. I mean, some of them were standing and, like, just talking to me as if we're buddies. I was up a break in one game, I think it was probably 40-15, I just miss a backhand. He's like, Aah, no.
I'm like, Don't worry, man, I got this.
Yeah, I mean, I was just taking it all in. Like I said, it's a dream come true to me to play night match over here on Arthur Ashe. So for me it was fun. Obviously it's not easy to play under these conditions. But I managed to put a positive spin on it.

Canadian, Spaniard surge into second week at the US Open
The Cinderella run for #NextGenATP star Denis Shapovalov continues. Competing in just his sixth tour-level main draw, the Canadian teen advanced to the Round of 16 at the US Open on Friday.
Shapovalov is the youngest player to reach the US Open fourth round since Michael Chang in 1989 and youngest in a Grand Slam Round of 16 since Marat Safin at Roland Garros in 1998. He will seek his first major quarter-final when he faces Pablo Carreno Busta next, after advancing when Kyle Edmund retired due to injury at 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 1-0.
Semi-finalist at the Coupe Rogers just three weeks ago, behind victories over Rafael Nadal and Juan Martin del Potro, the 18 year old is thriving once again against elite competition. Carreno Busta will be Shapovalov's second Top 20 opponent this week, having secured a straight-sets victory over eighth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the second round.
“The month of August has been absolutely life-changing for me, and yeah, I'm actually very thankful for my team for helping me stay humble and just prepare for every match, like it's another match,” Shapovalov said. “But I feel like after the US Open, I'm going to have a little bit of time to take it all in, everything that's been happening to me. I'm playing great tennis and I'm just trying to take it one day at a time.”
The Canadian's win also makes him the first qualifier to advance to the fourth round in New York since Gilles Muller streaked to the quarter-finals in 2008. Shapovalov is projected to rise to the doorstep of the Top 50 of the Emirates ATP Rankings and has cemented himself as one of the threats to qualify for the Next Gen ATP Finals, assured of a Top 4 standing in the Emirates ATP Race To Milan following the US Open.
“I did have that confidence that I can make it this far, but to be honest, this whole season has been going really quickly for me,” Shapovalov added. “My goal was to be inside the 150 by the end of the year when I had started and now Top 50 seems doable.”
Edmund concludes his US Open following straight-set wins over Robin Haase and Steve Johnson. Last week at the Winston-Salem Open, he won six matches to reach the semi-finals as a qualifier.
"I guess it's an upper thoracic back problem," Edmund explained. "It just got very sore and very tight and almost locked up a bit. I didn't feel like I could rotate properly. It's just obviously hitting in tennis, you need a good rotation. It just seized up very quickly. It was pretty sore now just coming off the court. Now everything has cooled down so it's very stiff now."
The Canadian's win also makes him the first qualifier to advance to the fourth round in New York since Gilles Muller streaked to the quarter-finals in 2008. Shapovalov is projected to rise to the doorstep of the Top 50 of the Emirates ATP Rankings and has cemented himself as one of the threats to qualify for the Next Gen ATP Finals, assured of a Top 4 standing in the Emirates ATP Race To Milan following the US Open.
Earlier in the day, Carreno Busta rolled into the Round of 16 at Flushing Meadows with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 victory over Nicolas Mahut. The 12th seed is flying under the radar as he continues to register his best result at the final Grand Slam of the year.
Carreno Busta has not dropped a set thus far, turning in convincing victories over qualifier Evan King, qualifier Cameron Norrie and qualifier Mahut. In a remarkable twist of fate, he will face yet another qualifier in the fourth round: Shapovalov. It marks the first time in the Open Era that a player has squared off against four qualifiers at a Grand Slam.
"I am really happy because I reached the second week here," said Carreno Busta. "It is always a positive thing and this year it has been one of the objectives that me and my team have looked at. To do big things at important tournaments means that your level is rising. It is the truth that I have faced three qualifiers but it has been very tough. I am just concentrated on my game."
Carreno Busta fired 32 winners and converted six of 10 break chances to claim victory after one hour and 48 minutes. The Spaniard found great success in coming forward, notching 17 of 21 points when charging the net. After falling behind two-sets-to-love, Mahut seized an initial break to open the third, but Carreno Busta reeled off six of the last seven games to emerge victorious.

Canadian reflects on rapid rise
Six weeks. That is all that has separated Denis Shapovalov from being a rising #NextGenATP prospect with a promising future to one of the biggest threats at the 2017 US Open, on the brink of a Top 50 breakthrough.
Shapovalov's ascent in the months of July and August is nothing short of astonishing and incomprehensible. At the 14th position in the Emirates ATP Race To Milan on 17 July, the Canadian had an outside chance of qualifying for the Next Gen ATP Finals.
But, on the heels of a second ATP Challenger Tour title on home soil in Gatineau, semi-final finish at the Coupe Rogers and run to the US Open third round as a qualifier, he has catapulted as high as fourth. He is bidding to qualify for the inaugural 21-and-under event, to be held from 7-11 November in Milan. Buy Tickets
And with a surge of momentum at his back, he is not close to finished climbing.
"Milan is going to be an incredible tournament," Shapovalov told ATPWorldTour.com. "I really hope I can make it. I really shot up [the Emirates ATP Race To Milan]. We'll see how it goes. There are some awesome guys playing some big tournaments. It would be such a privilege to be there in the first year they're doing it.
"It's an amazing idea and really cool that they're changing up the rules to keep it interesting. Just to be named one of the Top 8 NextGen guys is an honour. To represent my country in this tournament will mean the world to me."
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Spotlight On Shapovalov: Canada's Rising Star
Shapovalov, who was born in Tel Aviv, Israel, before his family moved to Canada, first crashed onto the scene with an upset of Nick Kyrgios at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event in Toronto last year, before kicking off his 2017 campaign with his maiden Challenger crown in Drummondville.
The 18 year old - junior champion at Wimbledon last year - was hovering inside the Top 200 of the Emirates ATP Rankings before receiving a wild card into the main draw at the All England Club. He would suffer a four-set defeat to Jerzy Janowicz, but little did Shapovalov know that his life would change from there. A second Challenger title in Gatineau moved him firmly inside the Top 150 and a run to the last four in Montreal has him entrenched in the Top 100.
"My breakthrough moment this season has to be in Montreal. My whole life has changed from that experience. It's getting tougher to go places and not get noticed. Coming back from four match points down in the first round and then beating [Juan Martin] del Potro, beating [Rafael] Nadal and then [Adrian] Mannarino, it really pushed me up in the [Emirates ATP] Rankings and gave me confidence that I can play against these top guys and that I belong here.
"To have a chance to play against guys like Delpo and Rafa was really inspiring for me. It was really motivating to play in front of all those fans too. The stadium was packed and it was getting so loud in there. It was so much fun to be a part of that."
Now, the Top 50 is in sight for the Canadian with a mammoth US Open third-round clash against Kyle Edmund slated for Friday at Flushing Meadows. The sky's the limit for the youngest player in the Top 100.
"At the start of the year my goal was to be Top 200 or 150 in the world. I kind of zoomed past that midway through the season and then it was Top 100. I moved past Top 70 after Montreal and the goal would be to end the year in the Top 50, but I won't be upset if I won't make it."

Q. Before what happened at the end happened, fair to say this wasn't at the level you had in your previous matches? You were struggling more?
DENIS SHAPOVALOV: Yeah, definitely. I mean, he won the first set. He was playing good tennis. He was playing me the right way. Yeah, I picked it up in the second. Stayed calm after the first. I knew I would have my chances. You know, I converted in the second set when I had the chance.
So I was happy with that, and, yeah, like you mentioned, it's unfortunate what happened.
Q. From even before the tournament with Novak out, Wawrinka out, Andy Murray out, so many health issues created opportunities. And then, of course, today in the middle of the match that was hard fought, your opponent retired. How would you describe the impact of all these health issues on the draw?
DENIS SHAPOVALOV: It definitely opens up the draw quite a bit. I think five out of the Top 10 guys were missing. It's pretty significant. Yeah, I mean, it's happening for a reason.
I feel like you don't just have five guys injured. It's got to be something with the scheduling, something I think the tour, the calendar might be a little bit too long. I don't know. I haven't played enough to say anything, but, you know, when you have so many guys hurt, it's not a coincidence.
Q. On that theme of opportunity, how about the opportunity for young players, given what's going on? Not just with health but results.
DENIS SHAPOVALOV: Yeah, definitely. I mean, like I said, it opens up the draw, and it helps players like myself or Andrey Rublev, who is doing well, to kind of have a chance and not play, you know -- well, Roger is here, but Novak or Andy Murray in the early stages. So it definitely helps.
Q. Is there a part of you that's, like, wow, this is a dream? When am I going to wake up? I can't even believe this is all happening?
DENIS SHAPOVALOV: Of course. The month of August has been absolutely life changing for me, and, yeah, you know, I'm actually very thankful for my team for helping me stay humble and just prepare for every match, like it's another match, but I feel like after the Open, I'm going to have a little bit of time to take it all in, everything that's been happening to me. And, yeah, you know, I'm playing great tennis and I'm just trying to take it one day at a time.
Q. It's been quite a while since somebody your age made it this far here in New York. Does it seem like it's sort of happening a lot faster than you thought it would, or did you think to yourself that you were capable of making this deeper run now?
DENIS SHAPOVALOV: Of course. When the week started, first of all, I had to go through qualifying, so, like I mentioned in other interviews, you never know who you're going to get. I had a pretty tough draw to qualify. I had Denis Kudla first round who has made third or fourth round at Wimbledon. It wasn't easy. Of course, I didn't expect those results.
I did have that confidence that, you know, that I can make it this far, but, you know, to be honest, this whole season has been going really quickly for me. My goal was to be inside the 150 by the end of the year when I had started, and, you know, now top 50 seems doable. Yeah.
Q. Three weeks ago, in the first round of the Canadian Open, you got to save four match points. Could you have imagined then being in this position now? And what could you draw from that first-round match in Canada, saving four first-record match points to this round of the 16?
DENIS SHAPOVALOV: It definitely all started from that match. I don't know. It's just the way the sport is. It happens so many times when guys save match points and they go on to win tournaments or do well, or sometimes they lose and then they get in as Lucky Loser and they go on a run.
It happens a lot. I feel like I kind of played with a second chance, a second life after that match, because I was so close to losing. From there, I just picked up my level and, yeah, just started playing well, just started getting a couple good wins, getting my confidence and momentum, and I'm playing free and playing loose.
Q. Why do you wear your hat all the way to the side like that?
DENIS SHAPOVALOV: I have a small head (smiling).
Q. Can they give you a smaller hat?
DENIS SHAPOVALOV: They can. I do have smaller hats, but it's just kind of become a little bit of my trademark (smiling). Yeah, and a couple of people are calling it the Shapo fashion.
Q. How are you sort of coping between matches? There is a lot of hype between beating Tsonga and you come back to this one. Are you watching a lot of matches on TV in between? What do you do?
DENIS SHAPOVALOV: It's difficult. I try to keep up a little bit, obviously. I watched a couple of the first two sets of Rafa yesterday, but, yeah, everything happens so quickly. I mean, after the match, it's recovery, obviously press, and then, yeah, just taking care of the body, making sure I eat right, recover. Next day I have to train.
So it's a lot of scheduling. There's not much free time, but obviously when I have a chance, I do try to just kind of keep up and watch a couple of other players.
Q. What's the role of Martin?
DENIS SHAPOVALOV: The role?
Q. Yes.
DENIS SHAPOVALOV: He's my coach.
Q. How do you see him?
DENIS SHAPOVALOV: He's my coach. I have been working with him for a year. He's definitely a mentor to me. I mean, I find him, you know, a great player when he played, and, yeah, I mean, when I was growing up, I saw him on the bench for Davis Cup, and, yeah, I looked up to him and he really knows what he's doing.
But yeah, we have had a really good relationship. I really like the way he works. He really makes me complement my strengths. On the other side, he's helped me a lot mentally and in those aspects of my game, so he's definitely helped me a lot this year, and, yeah, it's a lot of credit to him for my results recently.
Q. Last great match Raonic played was against Carreno Busta. Did you see that match, and did you...
DENIS SHAPOVALOV: I remember some of that, but I didn't get a chance to watch it.
Q. Carreno Busta, what do you know about him?
DENIS SHAPOVALOV: I don't know much about him. I know he's aggressive, goes for his shots, but I'm going to discuss that with Marty after.
Q. A lot of people who are older think that 18-year- olds never get tired. Can you dispel that rumor?
DENIS SHAPOVALOV: No, it's true. We don't. (Laughter.)
Yeah, it's been a long ride. I was just talking to Vasek. I said it feels like I have been here a month already. I have been enjoying my time. Luckily I have had short matches. Today was longer, but with the retirement, it was three sets, as well.
Yeah, I'm doing a good job of taking care of my body. I have a good support team around me, and, yeah, you know, I actually do feel good and really ready for my next round.
Q. Did you always have a one-handed backhand?
DENIS SHAPOVALOV: Yeah, well, what had happened was when I was, let's say, six, five or six, my mom was, well, just putting balls on a cone and I was hitting from a cone. And I would kind of swing with two hands and let go, so it was kind of natural.
My father and my mother had a little bit of a conversation. They came back to me, and they told me, Try to just release the one-hander.
From that day, I always had a one-hander. Obviously might have been a little bit tough growing up. A lot of people said you're too young or too weak to have a one-hander. Maybe you should stick to two and switch.
For me, it was always natural, and I think it's turned out to be a great weapon of mine.
Q. Can you talk a little bit about your background? Your parents went from Russia to Israel. What transpired that you guys ended up in Canada?
DENIS SHAPOVALOV: Well, they are from the Soviet Union, from Uvov (phonetic). My background is Russian. My mom moved to Israel because her coach moved. Then she played from there a little bit and she started coaching. Obviously my dad moved with her. He was with her at the time.
And then she was there for about probably 10 to 12 years. Then when she had my brother and me, they decided to move to Canada, to Toronto. And, yeah, I mean, I was born in Israel, but, you know, raised in Canada. I came over when I was nine months.
Q. What's your sense of the impact you and the other young players are making so far and can make in the remaining time at the US Open this year?
DENIS SHAPOVALOV: Yeah, we're definitely making an impact. I mean, I think Rublev is playing a little bit later today. He's been doing really well. But, yeah, there is a lot of young guys coming up and doing really well.
I said it from before, I think in a year or two, the rankings are really going to change. There is a lot of young guys coming up, and the tour has got a lot of veterans right now. It's kind of a transition time for the ATP, but, yeah, I think there is a lot of talent coming up.
Q. And this event, could it be a pivotal moment in that development?
DENIS SHAPOVALOV: I mean, I know Rublev is still in. Are there any other young guys still in the tournament?
Q. Depends how you define "young," I guess.
DENIS SHAPOVALOV: Yeah, well, I mean, I don't know. Like I said, yeah, for sure, every Grand Slam, it's a chance for young guys to prove themselves and, you know, I have been doing that. Hopefully I can keep doing that.
Yeah, guys like Rublev or anyone else still in, why not? I think everyone is beatable.
Q. Can you just step back and talk about the experience of just getting into the whole world of big-time tennis? Is it still joyous and a lot of fun? Is it sometimes a little daunting? Is there any kind of a wow moment? Just talk about the process and what goes through your head.
DENIS SHAPOVALOV: I don't think there is ever really time to kind of, you know, have that wow moment. Obviously, like I said, it's a lot to take in. The month of August, it's been life changing.
Yeah, everything kind of moves fast. I mean, like -- what was the main question again?
Q. Just what the experience is like for you as a young person.
DENIS SHAPOVALOV: Yeah, I mean, of course I have been playing my second main draw slam. It's huge. Yeah, there is a lot of new experiences, but, yeah, I mean, like I'm saying, everything kind of happens too quickly. My team kind of makes me focus one match at a time.
I don't really have time to take in everything that I have done, but I'm sure at the end of the year when I look back, you know, I'll really have time to see how far I have come in

Q. It was a lovely moment when you stopped and put your bag down and thanked the crowd as you left the court. Can you just tell us what your emotions or feelings were in that moment?
DENIS SHAPOVALOV: Honestly, it was so much fun to be part of that atmosphere and the match and this whole two weeks. You know, it's another life-changing event for me, and it's, you know -- first of all, it's thanks to the crowd. They have been having my back these past couple months. You know, they have been really carrying me. Without them, surely enough, it wouldn't be possible.
Obviously, you know, my team, as well, they put in so much hard work for me. A lot of my team members are missing time with their family and their kids to be here with me. It honestly means so much to me for them to, you know, try to make time for me.
Lastly, I just want to thank my parents. Unfortunately, they couldn't come. My mom said she would try to come if I had won today for my next match, but, yeah, it was just too tough with the kids and she didn't -- she didn't want to feel like she was betraying her students, which I completely understand. You know, for her, it's always priority is her students.
You know, it is what it is.
Q. You had a great run here. What lessons do you take with you from this experience?
DENIS SHAPOVALOV: The biggest lesson is that I'm able to compete with these guys. I still think I have a lot of work to do.
Yeah, I mean, it's just been, you know, two tournaments, but I really feel like I have to put in a lot of work this offseason to try and secure my spot in these rankings and just to be able to compete with these guys, yeah, week in and week out.
Q. It's safe to say that in the last month your world has changed. So what does the world look like after Edmonton? What are you going to be doing for the rest of the year?
DENIS SHAPOVALOV: Well, after Edmonton, it's Laver Cup, and then I'm not sure yet. You know, with my ranking, I'm getting into some ATPs and then not others. So it's a lot of picking and choosing. I haven't decided with my coach yet, but, yeah, we're going to make that decision shortly.
Q. You have talked a lot about how this has been life-changing for yourself. What do you think what you have done over the last month has done for tennis in Canada?
DENIS SHAPOVALOV: Yeah, I think that's probably one of the proudest things. For me, like I said, my goal is to raise the level of Canadian tennis and just have more kids picking up a racquet instead of a hockey stick. I think I have definitely helped to do that, and hopefully, you know, I can keep doing it.
I know a lot of people were tweeting towards me that don't even follow tennis, and they're starting to get into the sport, you know, because I have been doing well.
It's really inspiring for me. It makes me really want to keep working hard so that, you know, I can keep motivating these kids to try to, you know, pick up a racquet and hopefully become, as a player, like Milos or Vasek or even me.
Q. What's been your favorite memories, you think, of the past ten days?
DENIS SHAPOVALOV: Favorite memory in the past ten days? Honestly, I think it was the sound, the roar of the crowd when I put my bags down and I went to applaud them.
Yeah, they were all screaming. It was so loud, and it was a great moment for me.
It really has a special place in my heart, and, you know, now New York for sure, it will always have a special place for me.
You know, hopefully I can come back here for many more years and just try to do some damage.
Q. Just describe the match from your side of the net.
DENIS SHAPOVALOV: Yeah, I think I had a lot of chances. I don't think I played as well today as I have been these past two weeks, but, I mean, that's tennis. It's going to happen.
I think Pablo played a very great match. He stayed very tough mentally in the big points. Yeah, he just played three tiebreaks that were better than mine. I was up in the first, up in the third. I definitely had my chances. Very disappointed that I wasn't able to keep my leads.
But, you know, at the end of the day, it's tennis. I still have a lot of things to learn. Yeah, so hopefully I can come back and, you know, hopefully one day I can make it further here.
Q. You're in the United States where we're desperately looking for a young, charismatic, long-haired guy with a great forehand and backhand. Do you think you could have impact beyond Canadian borders, your appeal goes beyond that? Talk about that possibility of being a really appealing character for our game.
DENIS SHAPOVALOV: Definitely. I mean, just a couple of days ago in Central Park, I was just walking with my team and I ran into this kid who -- he was shaking, you know, seeing me. For me, it's -- you know, it's so nice for me to see.
I mean, this kid -- you know, I'm just walking, doing my business, and this kid comes up to me, and he tries to talk to me but he can't really start a conversation, he's shaking so much. He's, just, like, Oh, my God, wow, I can't believe this.
Yeah, it's honestly inspiring, and it's moments like this -- you know, I grew up wanting to play tennis. I want to change, try to change the sport and hopefully, you know, first of all, in Canada. But definitely in America, I think I'm making an impact, and hopefully I can continue to do so, because for me, I mean, the best thing in life is to see kids like this, you know, looking up to you and just aspiring to be like you.
Q. I don't know if you ever heard of Jimmy Van Alen who invented the tiebreak. He thought a longer match was illogical torture. Do you wish he hadn't invented it?
DENIS SHAPOVALOV: Maybe today (smiling). No, I mean, I think the tiebreak is smart, very smart, I think, to do -- I mean, it sums up the set. Otherwise, players can be going forever and matches could be -- every match could be like the John Isner/Mahut match. We don't want that in our sport. Eventually, we want to finish up the set and head to the next one.
Unfortunately, it just didn't go my way today. Yeah, I think I...
Q. Do you usually have a good record on tiebreakers?
DENIS SHAPOVALOV: It's up and down. I mean, usually, yeah. Usually I play pretty solid. Unfortunately, today I wasn't able to play well in those moments.
But, yeah, I enjoy playing the tiebreaker. You have to really focus on every point. Yeah, I think it's --you know, it's just like overtime in hockey. Next goal wins. It has that kind of feel to it.
Q. You seem to dream big dreams. How have some of those dreams crystallized during this summer and affected your approach to the future?
DENIS SHAPOVALOV: Yeah, I mean, well, my goals were, you know, always very initially doable. Obviously I didn't expect to be this far along at this part of the season. My goal was to be 150 by the end. And that was -- I thought that was a, you know, very good goal to have. I thought it's tough but doable.
Yeah, I feel like ever since Queen's I picked up my level. I mean, I took Berdych 7-5 in the third. From there, I just had that confidence that I could play these big guys and go for it. Obviously saving four match points in Rogers Cup helped tremendously. Could have been out first round.
After that, I'm just playing every match with the belief, just the belief I have within myself. I always wanted to play these guys and these matches, so for me, it's just a lot of fun to be on the court. I think that definitely helps me in the matches.
Q. In this match, what moment or point do you regret the most?
DENIS SHAPOVALOV: I don't know. There's always points that you would wish or want to change.
I don't know. I don't think there is one specific moment that changed the match. I had a lot of chances and so did he. But he just played better in the big moments.
He stayed very solid. I mean, yeah, I can't pinpoint one exact moment. I mean, serving for the first set, I had a couple of break points at 6-5 but he played too good. Played a bad tiebreaker. Second set, came back. Played another tiebreaker that wasn't too good. And then third set, up 15-40, 3-0, you know, he played another good point. I kind of got caught with my legs at one of the approaches.
Yeah, I mean, it's tennis. It's a sport. You don't know what's going to happen the next point, so it's always a roller coaster ride.
Q. You made the statement that you were glad you'd be able to show kids how to pick up a hockey stick as opposed to...
DENIS SHAPOVALOV: A racquet instead of a hockey stick.
Q. Yeah. Was that because of an individual versus team sport or because you think that more people should play tennis?
DENIS SHAPOVALOV: No, I just -- I mean, I just love the sport so much. Obviously I love hockey just as much, but I feel like Canada hasn't been able to come up with, you know, a bunch of athletes just because there's so many kids going into hockey instead of other sports of tennis.
You know, they just don't have that belief that they can make it as a tennis player, whereas, you know, they're like, this is a hockey nation. I'll put my kids into hockey. It's doable.
You know, we have so many great players like Wayne Gretzky, Sydney Crosby and Connor McDavid, so they have that belief in hockey; whereas in tennis, now they're just discovering that it's possible to do it in Canada, and there is places that can train your kids the right way so that they can come up. The kids themselves, they're just watching the sport more instead of hockey, so it's just a combination of that.
Q. Now that you have made this run here, how confident will you be in future Grand Slams that you can make a deep run, given what you have done here?
DENIS SHAPOVALOV: Definitely, there is still so much work to be done. I'm playing unbelievable tennis right now, but, yeah, it's not going to be like this every week.
I mean, I have been very lucky. I have been, you know, playing really well. There's going to be a lot of tough weeks ahead, and I'm ready for that, as well.
I think I really need to get back to work, and my team is making sure that, you know, first of all, I'm staying healthy, and second of all, I'm always trying to get better so that, yeah, hopefully in the future I can make some more runs. Hopefully, eventually, in the long term, lifting up a cup.
Q. Seven times you played in this Open. You must be especially tired. Do you think you should be awarded to receive the wildcard after your presentation in Montreal?
DENIS SHAPOVALOV: To where?
Q. Here.
DENIS SHAPOVALOV: Oh, no. No, it's a wildcard from America, and obviously it would be -- it would have been fantastic to get a wildcard, but, you know, they don't owe me anything to get a wildcard. Obviously they are looking after their players. It's a tournament in America. First of all, they look after Americans, just as in Canada, they would look after Canadians, you know.
I wasn't expecting a wildcard at all. I knew I had to qualify, and I was ready for that. I was actually really motivated to try to get through the qualifying.

Denis Shapovalov came back in Toronto, Canada, to attend the opening night of the Toronto International Film Festival on Thursday. Before that, the world no. 51 had a long press conference with journalists to speak about his big results: reaching the semi-finals in Montreal and the fourth round at the US Open.

'My life has definitely changed in the past month,' Shapovalov said. 'I'm getting recognized in airports and malls and everything. For me it's inspiring to get recognized and see all these little kids getting excited when they see me.' There were some key wins during his journey, and obviously the one against Rafael Nadal in the Rogers Cup has been included.

Shapovalov was down 0-3 in the third set tie-break and at the end he came back the Spaniard. 'It's a huge confidence boost and made me feel like I belong on the court with these guys and have the nerve to hit those shot during the big points,' he recalled.

'I think a lot of aspects of my tennis game have improved. My serve and returns are getting better. I'm coming to the net a lot more, but the biggest thing I've improved is my fighting spirit. Just staying calm and fighting for every point.

My team and I have worked on that the entire year.' He should have little regrets for his loss to Pablo Carreno Busta in New York. At the end of the match he got very emotional. 'After I lost, when I dropped off my bags to salute the crowd, I wasn't expecting that big of a roar from everyone.

It's a moment I'll never forget. Just having all these people cheering me on. Then afterwards showing me their respect. It's such an awesome feeling. I hope to be back on that court for a long time to come.' He also said something cool about his name which confuses people.

'It's been like that all my life. My parents told me people are never going to get my name right. It's pretty funny the different ways people pronounce it. It's intimidating on paper. There are a lot of Os and As.

When referees see it on paper they panic. Once I was called Sharapova. The nickname I probably prefer is Shapo. I hear a lot of fans call me that. It stands out and is simple.' Obviously after these weeks his goals have changed, but he admitted it's still a long way to go.

'One day I would love to win a Slam. But I think I'm still really far from that and still have a lot of work to do. At the end of the day, I'm still only 18.

The Australian called Canadia's Shapovalov "the future" of the game.

Shapovalov stunned the tennis world this past August at the Montreal Masters. The wildcard made it to the semi-finals stage, where he couldn't beat eventual champion Alexander Zverev.The 18-year-old also had a notable campaign in his first ever US Open.The Canadian made the last-16 before he lost to eventual semifinalist Pablo Carreno Busta.

Shapovalov stepped in and led to securing a place in the Davis Cup World Group next year. The 18-year-old won two singles rubbers, including the decisive fifth rubber, in 3-2 playoffs win over India. Shapovalov has also made a huge rankings jump since the beginning of the year.He is currently sitting at his career-best ranking of world No. 51.

The 2016 Wimbledon Juniors champion is currently having a week off.

Canadian becomes fourth #NextGenATP player to qualify

One of North America's most promising tennis players will bring his fiery brand of tennis to the Next Gen ATP Finals next month. Canadian Denis Shapovalov on Monday became the fourth player to qualify for the inaugural event, to be held 7-11 November at the Fiera Milano (Rho), Italy.
Shapovalov joined Alexander Zverev of Germany and Russians Andrey Rublev and Karen Khachanov as qualifiers. The left-handed Canadian clinched his berth by beating Japan's Yuichi Sugita 4-6, 6-2, 7-6(3) in the first round of the Swiss Indoors Basel.
Buy Tickets Now
The 18-year-old Shapovalov is the youngest player so far to guarantee his spot at the 21-and-under tournament, which will also feature a number of rule changes and innovations. Shapovalov captured the tennis world's attention in August when he sprinted through the Coupe Rogers draw in his home country.

The 6-foot left-hander started the week of 7 August at No. 143 in the Emirates ATP Rankings. He received a wild card into the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event, and showed exactly how to take advantage of such an opportunity.
After surviving a first-round battle against veteran Rogerio Dutra Silva of Brazil, Shapovalov knocked out Grand Slam champion Juan Martin del Potro in straight sets.
Read More: Surging Shapovalov Has Sights Set On Milan
In the Round of 16, Shapovalov delivered the performance of his career, upsetting then-World No. 2 Rafael Nadal to become the youngest Masters 1000 quarter-finalist. He followed the stunning performance by beating Frenchman Adrian Mannarino to make the Montreal semi-finals. His dream run ended there with a tight two-set loss to fellow #NextGenATP Zverev.
Shapovalov proved he was no one-tournament wonder in the weeks ahead. Playing at his first US Open, he won three matches to qualify and proceeded to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time, beating then-World No. 12 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga along the way.
Only three qualification spots remain for the eight-player Next Gen ATP Finals. The top seven in the Emirates ATP Race To Milan, which ends on 30 October, will qualify. The eighth spot is reserved for the winner of an Italian 21-and-under tournament to finish on 5 November.

Denis Shapovalov's Vogue photoshoot with Karlie Kloss reflects Canadian's growing profile
A season full of highlights for Denis Shapovalov just keeps getting better.
Reaching the Coupe Rogers semi-finals, the second week of the US Open, and breaking into the Top 50 of the Emirates ATP Rankings as a teenager have made Shapovalov a household name in the tennis world. Now the 18-year-old Canadian is getting attention in the fashion world after joining supermodel Karlie Kloss on the cover of the November issue of VOGUE.
“I was really nervous heading there. I didn’t know what to expect from Karlie, I’ve never met a model that’s so famous before,” said Shapovalov of Kloss, who has more than 7 million followers on Instagram and has featured on 32 Vogue covers internationally. “But she was so nice and really cool, so it was really fun. She really made me relax and she helped me have a great time.”
With his trademark backwards ball cap and impressive flow of shiny blond hair, Shapovalov knows a thing or two about style, and he managed to hold his own with Kloss despite being more familiar with sets of tennis rather than sets of fashion shoots.
“It was funny, the makeup and the hairstyling... everything took her probably two hours to get ready, and then the stylist, she looks at my hair and she’s like, ‘Yeah I think that looks pretty good!’ recalled Shapovalov, with a laugh. “So they didn’t touch it up at all. Maybe it’s just natural, I don’t know!”
Despite many unbelievable on-court moments for the Canadian in a wildly successful season that even he could never have predicted, this off-court moment was perhaps even harder to believe – and not just for Shapovalov.
“I told my parents and my best friend. They really didn’t believe me!” said Shapovalov. “But they were really excited for me.”
Shapovalov will be among the world's best eight 21-and-under players who will compete at the inaugural Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan from 7-11 November. Learn more about the event