Shapovalov’s grounded push into Paris
Injury shadows lifted by marriage and momentum, Denis Shapovalov arrives at the season’s close with tactical fire and personal calm, ready to settle a score under the lights.
Denis Shapovalov has carved a path of renewal through 2025, blending court conquests with quiet personal anchors that steady his volatile talent. Titles in Dallas and Los Cabos ignited his return, signaling a player rediscovering the explosive baseline game that once turned heads. Now nestled back inside the Top 25 of the PIF ATP Rankings, the Canadian carries a composed edge into the year’s final surge, where every point pulses with reclaimed purpose.
Finding stability in shared rhythms
Shapovalov’s resurgence deepened off the court through his marriage to former WTA player Mirjam Bjorklund, who tied the knot last month in a picturesque Greek ceremony. This bond has woven a thread of balance into his tour life, her insight into the sport’s grind helping him navigate the emotional currents that once pulled him under. Their partnership, forged over years of mutual highs and lows, now serves as a quiet force, allowing him to focus on the ball’s flight rather than the weight of expectation.
During the final six months of 2023, a left knee injury sidelined him, casting long doubts over whether his thunderous forehands would ever roar again. Bjorklund stood as his constant, her words cutting through the fog of frustration during long rehab sessions. He reveals how those talks reshaped his outlook, turning isolation into shared resolve.
“She’s a big reason why I am able to do what I can today,” Shapovalov said. “She’s been around for many years and has seen me through the ups and downs. Especially during the injury time, it was a very difficult time in my life.
“Even when I was coming back, I was having a lot of conversations with her, saying ‘I’m not sure if I’m ever going to get back to my level’. But she always kept me level-headed and told me to take it one moment at a time. She had a lot of confidence that I’ll be back where I am today, so a lot of credit to her.”
Even their dog Yatzy adds a light touch to the mix, with Shapovalov chuckling that the pup’s arrival stirred more daily shifts than the wedding vows. This domestic ease filters into his on-court poise, where he now approaches rallies with a measured aggression, blending deep crosscourt groundstrokes with timely underspin to keep opponents guessing.
Harnessing indoor court’s quick pulse
The ATP Tour‘s indoor hard-court swing has always amplified Shapovalov’s strengths, its brisk surfaces letting his flat drives skid low and fast, pinning foes behind the baseline. In 2025, he’s racked up 26 wins, channeling that speed into semifinal runs in Stockholm, where one–two combinations of heavy serves and inside-out forehands dismantled steady returners. The enclosed arenas, with their sharp echoes and contained crowd hum, sharpen his focus, turning potential nerves into precise execution.
His quarterfinal push in Basel showcased this evolution, though a right knee twinge forced a third-set retirement against eventual champion Joao Fonseca. That match highlighted adjustments in play—more varied serve placement to open angles for down-the-line backhands—while underscoring the need to pace himself amid lingering physical echoes. He notes how these conditions draw out his peak form, the faster bounce suiting bold returns that exploit second serves with low slices, building pressure point by point.
“I always feel I am able to play good tennis at this part of the season at the indoor tournaments,” Shapovalov reflected. “It always brings out the best tennis that I can play. I feel comfortable and I’ve been able to play some really good matches lately, so I’m happy with that.”
Chasing redemption amid Paris lights
At the Paris Masters, Shapovalov opens against the #NextGenATP Brazilian on Tuesday, eyeing a chance to flip their 0-1 ATP Head2Head record after the Basel exit. The indoor setup favors his aggressive returns, where he can redirect crosscourt with pace to counter Fonseca’s flat power, potentially setting up inside-in forehands for winners. Despite the shift to La Défense Arena and knee watchfulness, the city stirs vivid recalls of 2019, when he charged to his first ATP Masters 1000 final before Novak Djokovic edged him out in a gripping finish.
Those memories—of roaring stands and tactical duels under spotlights—fuel his current drive, the atmosphere’s intensity mirroring the personal stakes he now meets with steadier resolve. Bjorklund’s influence lingers in this mindset, her encouragement echoing as he balances physical caution with shotmaking flair during extended exchanges. “It’s a little bit different this year because it’s a different site, but this period I have been able to play great tennis for multiple seasons, so I always get good feelings, no matter where I play indoors,” he added. “Coming back to Paris—the last big tournament of the year—it’s very special for me.”
As the season crests, Shapovalov’s blend of tactical nuance and emotional anchor positions him for deeper runs, transforming past uncertainties into a foundation for bolder pursuits ahead.
