Denis Shapovalov continues to impress on the ATP Tour, as he ramps up preparations for his home tournament.
The Canadian star won the biggest title of his career in February when Shapovalov defeated Casper Ruud in the final of the Dallas Open ATP 500 event.
Adding another title to his resume last time out, Shapovalov won the Los Cabos Open in Mexico, taking down Aleksandar Kovacevic in the final.
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Shapovalov will now travel to Toronto for his home Canadian Open, an event at which he reached the semifinals eight years ago.
Several big names have withdrawn from the tournament in Canada, including one player who Shapovalov described as the toughest opponent he’s ever played.
Denis Shapovalov says Novak Djokovic has been his toughest opponent
During an interview with Streets of Toronto, Shapovalov was asked to name the toughest opponents of his tennis career.
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“Novak [Djokovic] is the opponent I’ve struggled with the most throughout my career, so I would have to go with him,” he said.
Shapovalov and Djokovic have played one another eight times previously, with the 26-year-old yet to pick up a win over the 24-time Grand Slam champion.
MatchWinnerLoserScore2023 Adelaide 1 – QFNovak DjokovicDenis Shapovalov6-3, 6-42021 Wimbledon – SFNovak DjokovicDenis Shapovalov7-6, 7-5, 7-52021 ATP Cup – RRNovak DjokovicDenis Shapovalov7-5, 7-52020 ATP Cup – QFNovak DjokovicDenis Shapovalov4-6, 6-1, 7-62019 Paris Masters – FNovak DjokovicDenis Shapovalov6-3, 6-42019 Shanghai Masters – 2RNovak DjokovicDenis Shapovalov6-3, 6-32019 Italian Open – 2RNovak DjokovicDenis Shapovalov6-1, 6-32019 Australian Open – 3RNovak DjokovicDenis Shapovalov6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 6-0Denis Shapovalov and Novak Djokovic’s head-to-head record
The Canadian has played some of the biggest matches of his career against Djokovic, losing his sole Masters 1000 final to the 38-year-old in Paris six years ago.
They met again on one of the sport’s biggest stages in 2021, when Shapovalov appeared in his first Grand Slam semifinal.
In straight sets, Shapovalov fell to Djokovic 6-7, 5-7, 5-7, on Wimbledon’s Centre Court, as he failed in his bid to reach the final.
Shapovalov hasn’t returned to a major semifinal since, and has struggled at the sport’s four biggest tournaments recently, winning just two Grand Slam matches in 2025.
Looking to add a few more wins to his tally in New York next month, Shapovalov is determined to put on a show in front of his home fans first.
Denis Shapovalov gives his verdict on the fans at the Canadian Open
Shapovalov will be one of the top-ranked Canadian players in the draw next week, as he explains how ‘special’ the tournament is for him.
“The National Bank Open in Toronto has a special place in my heart, not just because it’s at home, but because I also won my first ATP match on these courts,” he said.
“It’s always extremely special coming back and playing in front of the home fans here.”
Awarded a wildcard in 2016, Shapovalov beat Nick Kyrgios in round one to secure his first tour-level win.
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Nine years on, Shapovalov has become an established member of the ATP top 50 and is proud of his efforts so far in 2025.
“I’m really proud of how I started the year. I won the biggest title of my career in February in Dallas and had a good run on hard courts after that,” he said.
“I’m feeling healthy, which is most important, and I’m excited to keep it going this year.”
For all his struggles on clay and grass in 2025, Shapovalov has excelled on hard courts, winning 16 of his 23 matches on the surface.
TournamentResultMatch winsLos Cabos OpenChampion4Miami OpenSecond round1Indian WellsSecond round1Mexican OpenSemifinalist3Dallas OpenChampion5Australian OpenSecond round1Adelaide InternationalSecond round1Hong Kong OpenFirst round0Denis Shapovalov’s hard-court results in 2025
Only time will tell if Shapovalov can win another title on hard courts this year, but if he were to do so in Canada, it would certainly be a moment to remember.
The 2025 Canadian Open is scheduled to begin on Monday, August 4.