By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Wednesday February 21, 2024
Denis Shapovalov is hungry for wins after missing the second half of the 2023 season due to a knee injury. Now outside of the Top 100, the Canadian has elected to take to the clay in Houston in March.
Shapovalov will make his Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship debut this year as he has committed to join the field at River Oaks Country Club for this year’s ATP tournament that will be held March 30-April 7.
The 24-year-old former World No.10 is 1-5 on the season, and currently ranked at 121. His last appearance was in Rotterdam, where he qualified and lost to Gael Monfils in the first round.
Suffering from a knee injury in 2023, Shapovalov pulled the plug on his season after Wimbledon, where he reached the round of 16.
Shapovalov joins a singles field that includes defending champion Frances Tiafoe, last year’s finalist Tomas Martin Etcheverry, Americans Tommy Paul, Ben Shelton and Chris Eubanks, and the phenomenal Australian doubles tandem of Max Purcelland Jordan Thompson.
“We are thrilled Denis will be coming to River Oaks for the first time,” said Tournament Director Bronwyn Greer. “We are so fortunate that many players, such as Frances, do come back year after year to play our event. It’s also very exciting for our fans to be able to see players like Denis, Ben and Chris up close and personal for the first time.”