Denis Shapovalov makes massive jump in ATP World Tour rankings
Following an incredible performance at the 2017 Rogers Cup in Montreal, Denis Shapovalov has made a gigantic leap in the ATP World Tour rankings.
The Rogers Cup was one of the most exciting and unpredictable events of the 2017 ATP season. Upsets occurred at every angle of the bracket, with unheralded players making their names at the expense of the more established talent.
No player benefited more from the opportunity to shine on a Masters 1000 stage than 18-year-old Canadian standout Denis Shapovalov.
Shapovalov was nothing short of historically great, becoming the youngest player in history to reach a Masters 1000 semifinal. Playing in front of his home country in Montreal, Canada, the lefty broke out with an unexpected run.
On the strength of his incredible success, Shapovalov has made a gigantic leap from No. 143 to No. 67 in the ATP World Tour rankings.
That’s a deserved rise in the rankings for the latest phenom to emerge from Canada.
Shapovalov turned 18 years of age less than four months before the Rogers Cup, but he played with a level of maturity that was well beyond his years. That began with a come from behind victory over Rogerio Dutra Silva—ranked No. 66 in the world—in the Round of 64.
A round later, he made quite the statement with a straight sets victory over former US Open champion Juan Martín del Potro.
The results were impressive through two rounds, but it was in the Round of 16 that Shapovalov had the best performance of his young career. Matched up against soon-to-be world No. 1 Rafael Nadal, Shapovalov displayed unflappable resilience.
Despite dropping the first set to the top player in the world, Shapovalov battled back for a 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) victory.
A win over Nadal would have been more than enough to generate hype for Shapovalov. A round later, however, he continued to impress with another come from behind victory: 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 over Adrian Mannarino, who’s ranked No. 36 in the world.
Shapovalov’s run eventually ended in the semifinals against Alexander Zverev, but even then, he took a Top 10 player to the brink in a 4-6, 5-7 battle.
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Denis Shapovalov is just 18 years of age, but he’s already secured his place as one of the Top 100 players on the ATP World Tour. The future is bright.