Denis Shapovalov aims to return to the top of men’s tennis.
His performance this past season gave the once-rising Canadian star confidence that he would get there.
While top seeds Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have captured the tennis world’s attention in 2025 and Felix Auger-Aliassime’s performance in the US Open semifinals has captured Canadian attention, Shapovalov has quietly had a comeback year.
“Obviously when I’m able to perform at my top level … I’m able to push top players,” he said.
Shapovalov, who begins his 2026 season this weekend at the Brisbane International, has won two ATP titles, including defeating three top-10 opponents at the Dallas Open to win his first 500-level event and return to the top 25 rankings for the first time since August 2023.
The 26-year-old from Richmond Hill, Ont., ranked No. 23 this year, has steadily climbed from as low as No. 140 after a serious knee injury derailed his 2023 season and stretched into 2024.
Former No. 1 and influential tennis podcaster Andy Roddick has also noticed this, calling Shapovalov’s resurgence one of the “little-known stories” of 2025.
“Starting at 150, it kind of loses the plot, maybe the inspiration, and then you look up… Shapo is ranked 23rd in the world,” Roddick said on the Dec. 23 episode of the “Serving With Andy Roddick” podcast. “It’s an important comeback story that I don’t think anyone talks about enough.
Shapovalov said he has proven he can compete with the best, but staying competitive in a tough match, let alone an entire season, is something a player known for his aggressive style and occasional outbursts on the field often fails to do.
In the rounds before losing to Sinner in the U.S. Open semifinals, Shapovalov faced the then world No. 1, but lost the next three sets.
“We saw when I played Janik Sinner at the U.S. Open that when I’m at the highest level, I’m able to compete with the top players,” he said. “We feel like the biggest difference is that maybe my fitness will be a little bit lower.”
Shapovalov broke into the Tour with impressive results at a young age.
At just 18 years old, Shapovalov defeated Rafael Nadal in the third round of the 2017 Rogers Cup in Montreal, rocketing from outside the 200 that year to No. 51. By the age of 21, he was already in the top ten.
Producing more consistent results is key to rising to the top again, he said.
Shapovalov has been working with Swedish coach Mikael Tillström since last summer, doubling down on training and pushing his physical limits in hopes of extending his high-level play for longer.
“It’s been my goal since I came back from injury to get back into the top 10. That’s still what I think about every day, every training session. That’s my goal,” he said. “(In 2026), I want to go deep into the Grand Slams and into the Masters.”
However, when it comes to competition, Shapovalov plans to reduce the number of games he plays.
“It’s about maintaining that consistency,” he said during a video call from Dubai, where he has conducted most of his pre-season training. “The best way for me to do that is to play less games first and play when I have more energy.”
Although Shapovalov is only 26 and in his so-called physical prime, he is no longer the free-swinging kid wearing a backwards baseball cap.
He now has to deal with injuries – he strained his back at the Stockholm Open in October and a knee flare later in the year – and life off the court has changed. Shapovalov married his longtime girlfriend and fellow tennis player Mirjam Bjorklund (now Shapovalova) in September.
Looking back, Shapovalov admits he lost his way after breaking into the top 10 for the first time.
“Ranking is so important to me that when I get there, it’s like, okay, now what?” he said. “You kind of freeze up and you don’t know what to do next. You almost play too much because you’re like, should I keep pushing and try to get higher?
“You lose some of the things that got you to this point in the first place.”
Shapovalov also said he can now play freely without having to prove something in every game.
“I can try to do my best without feeling the pressure of not knowing if I’m going to be in the top 10 or if I’m going to be in a Grand Slam semifinal,” he said. “It’s about seeing if I can push myself further and I think those things really excite me.”
While a return to the top ten is the goal, Shapovalov believes he will still find peace if he cannot reach those heights again.
“If, God forbid, I get injured tomorrow and can’t play again, I’m totally fine with that,” he said.
“I’m so grateful for everything I’ve done so far.”
