Shapovalov, after falling at home: "The last two times I have played in Toronto I have not felt comfortable"

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Denis Shapovalov is a case of consistent inability to achieve. The Canadian arrived at ATP Toronto in great form after winning the Los Cabo ATP the week before. It was a golden opportunity to go far in his home country tournament, with the crowd on his side and with the absence of top players like Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, or Jack Draper. However, he once again wasted a perfect chance and showcased his inconsistency in a match against Learner Tien, where he had the chance to win the set in both sets but failed to capitalize and lost 7-6(4), 7-5.

Something happens to the 26-year-old when he plays in his home country, whether it's the pressure, nerves, or court conditions. Shapovalov has not won a match in Canada since 2019. Reflecting on this harsh statistic, his loss to Tien, and the issues with the surface in Toronto, he spoke during the post-match press conference.

A mental defeat

"Frankly, today's defeat was probably entirely mental. I felt, or didn't feel, as you can see in the score, but, you know, I had both sets in my hands and let them slip away. Yes, today I felt a bit nervous, not very comfortable on the court. So, yes, maybe I had a bit of bad luck at some moments, but, well, that's how it goes. I kept trying to stick to my game, kept fighting. Yes, today it just didn't click. But, well, you know, these things happen."

Struggling to find his form in Toronto

"It's a shame, of course. You know, obviously, it's an important tournament. In fact, I try to treat it like any other Masters 1000. But yes, the last times I played in Toronto, I didn't feel very comfortable on the court, and yes, it's been difficult. I feel that court is a bit tricky for my game. That's how it is. There are places, surfaces, where you enjoy playing more. Obviously, I've had a lot of success in Montreal, and I like that court. Here, it has been a bit more challenging for me. Yes, it's a shame. But, again, today didn't go well for me. I feel like I didn't get beaten, I lost today. I had the match, had the first set, had the second set, and yes, just a bit of nerves, a bit of... yes, it just didn't go well. That's tennis, it happens quite often."

Nerves, the culprits of defeat

"It wasn't a lack of mental focus. Like I said, I was just a bit nervous. Again, I made a couple of double faults in the first set. Missed a backhand. Just a weak game with my serve. And then I broke his serve twice in the second set. I was ahead twice. Last week, when I played cleaner, it was a 6-3, 6-2 match. So, yes, it was just nerves, a few games where my serve failed. I didn't feel like he outplayed me in any of those games; it was me who failed. So, yes, that's what happened. When I commit to playing aggressively and going all out, I have to stay true to myself, and sometimes this will happen. Sometimes I have weeks like in Los Cabos and other times it's like this. So, yes, I think today I did everything right; I just have to be a bit more precise with my serve for the sets next time."

Very unfavorable conditions for his game 

"It's a combination. I find it's quite an open stadium, so there's a lot of movement out there. Yes, today I felt my feet didn't adapt well to the ball. I don't know what to say about the surface. Sometimes it felt slippery, other times bouncy, so it's hard to evaluate. I felt, I don't know, in a couple of games I watched, it was somewhat similar. But, yes, it's personal. Simply, I didn't feel comfortable on it this year and struggled to play my game on the court," said a Shapovalov who has yet to find the necessary consistency, neither in Canada nor anywhere else, to become one of the world's best tennis players.
 

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Shapovalov, tras caer en casa: "Las últimas dos veces que he jugado en Toronto no me he sentido cómodo"