By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Friday July 9, 2021
Denis Shapovalov’s wild ride at Wimbledon 2021 is in the books, and though the 22-year-old Canadian departs with a bitter taste in his mouth after having played so well against Novak Djokovic,yet still without finding a way to come up with a set. Nevertheless, Shapovalov can take big comfort in a breakout performance that saw him reach his first major semifinal.
Not only did Shapovalov go further than he ever has at a major before, he also showed just how disruptive his game can be when he is at full flight on Wimbledon’s grass.
Djokovic likely got it right when he told the Centre Court crowd that they were going to be seeing a lot more of Shapovalov after he notched his 7-6(3), 7-5, 7-5 victory over the Canadian.
Shapovalov took the loss hard because he really felt that he was playing well enough to shock the World No.1, and that says a lot about how much confidence he was carrying at Wimbledon.
“I think what hurt so much this time was just that I felt like the game is there and it's possible to go and play for the trophy,” he told reporters after the match. “It's a feeling I've never had before, so that's why it just hurt so much. I felt like I was outplaying Novak in parts of the match. If you're outplaying Novak, you can beat anyone.”
Shapovalov, who played two lead-up events on grass after pulling out of Roland Garros with a shoulder injury, clearly wanted success on the grass badly. As a former Boys Singles champion at Wimbledon (2016) the Canadian has always talked about his love for playing on the grass, so it was nice to see him show what he can do on the surface this Wimbledon.
He toppled two-time champion Andy Murray in his Centre Court debut in the third round, then battled past No.8-seeded Roberto Bautista Agut and No.25-seeded Karen Khachanov, two grizzled veterans who know their way around the grass—and the Grand Slam stage.
Djokovic, who has now won 20 consecutive matches at the majors in 2021, stung him in the end, and brought Shapovalov back to the reality that there is always more work to do.
Shapovalov: It Was Good to Get a "Taste"
“It just hurt a lot,” he said of the sting he felt when his Wimbledon came to an end. “Yeah, it's been a long month. It's been a long two weeks. It's been a lot of pressure, a lot of mental fatigue. Like, it all kind of spilled out on the court before I could control myself."
Even in defeat, Shapovalov seemed to relish the success he had at Wimbledon. In a way, he says, a tough loss in the semis might be they type of thing that makes him work even harder to attain Grand Slam glory in the future.
“For sure there's a lot of things to be proud for myself,” he said. “For sure it's almost good to have a little bit of a taste because it just makes me want it that much more going into the next slams and into the future. Now I know exactly what I'm capable of and where my game can be at.
“Also the things that I can improve, too, to beat Novak next time or go one step further. There's a lot of positives. It's a great two weeks.”