By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Friday July 2, 2021
Denis Shapovalov is a Wimbledon Boys’ Singles champion that has always had a passion for grass-court tennis, and Wimbledon in general. But until Friday he had never played a match on fabled Centre Court at the All England Club.
Now that he’s done it, the 22-year-old is handing out rave reviews.
“I was just like a kid out there,” Shapovalov told reporters after his 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Andy Murray on Day 5. “It was just like my dream always to be on that court. Every point I was just having my moment, having my dream, and I just wanted it to last as long as possible. It was just so much fun.”
Shapovalov, who entered this week with a 1-3 record at Wimbledon, is looking like a true grass-court threat this year. He cracked 45 winners against Murray and demonstrated how easy it is for him to dictate against a world-class defender and reader of the rallies.
But Shapovalov knows he still has plenty of room to improve on the surface.
“I feel like throughout the years my game has improved on grass courts. It's just been a matter of time,” he said. “So I'm happy that I've been able to stay patient. I still think there is so much room for me to grow on this surface and to get better. So there is definitely things I want to keep working on throughout the years, you know, so that one day I could be a really, really tough opponent on this surface.”
Now that he’s gotten his first taste of Centre Court, it sounds like Shapovalov is prepared to do whatever it takes to get back there.
“I think just the court in general, just the history of this club and the court itself and just the whole thing,” he sais. “You know, growing up, Wimbledon is the tournament that you hear about constantly and the tournament that you always want to compete in one day and be on that Centre Court.
“For me, it was the most special one. Growing up a Roger fan, too, he's won it so many times here, and to be on the court he's had so much history on, it was really special.”