Denis Shapovalov has his sights set on returning to the top of men's tennis.
His performance last season gave the once rising Canadian star the belief that he would succeed.
While top seeds Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner took the tennis world by storm in 2025 and Felix Auger-Aliassime captured Canada's attention with his semifinal performance at the US Open, Shapovalov quietly built his comeback year.
“Obviously, when I can play at my highest level … I can put pressure on the top guys,” he said.
Shapovalov, who begins his 2026 season at the Brisbane International this weekend, has won two ATP titles, including his first 500-level tournament with wins over three top-10 opponents at the Dallas Open, and returned to the top 25 in the rankings for the first time since August 2023.
The 26-year-old from Richmond Hill, Ont., finished the year ranked 23rd, moving up from 140th after a serious knee injury derailed his 2023 season and extended it through 2024.
No less than former number one and influential tennis podcaster Andy Roddick has taken notice, calling Shapovalov's resurgence one of the “under-told stories” of 2025.
“Starting at 150, you kind of lose the plot a little bit and maybe lose inspiration, and then you look up and… Chapeau is now 23 years old in the world,” Roddick said on the Dec. 23 episode of his “Serving with Andy Roddick” podcast. “It’s a big comeback story that I don’t think anyone has talked about enough.
“Props to him.”
Shapovalov says he has already shown he can take on the best, but maintaining a competitive edge throughout a grueling match, much less an entire season, has often eluded a player known for his aggressive style and occasional outbursts on the court.
A few rounds before Auger-Aliassime lost to Sinner in the US Open semi-finals, Shapovalov took the first set against the then world number one but lost the next three.
“We saw that when I played against Jannik Sinner at the US Open, when I'm at the highest level, I can compete with the top guys,” he said. “We felt like the biggest difference was that maybe physically I tend to fall a little bit.”
Shapovalov burst onto the tour in his youth with impressive results.
At just 18 years old, Shapovalov stunned Rafael Nadal in the third round of the 2017 Rogers Cup in Montreal, moving out of the top 200 to 51st that year. By age 21, he was in the top ten.
Getting more consistent results is the key to breaking into the top rankings again, he said.
Shapovalov has been working with Swedish coach Mikael Tillström since last summer, doubling down on his commitment to training and expanding his physical capabilities, hoping to extend his high-level play for longer periods.
“Getting back into the top 10 has been my goal since I came back from injury. It's still on my mind every day, every practice. That's what I'm going for,” he said. “(In 2026) I would like to participate deeper in the Grand Slam and Masters tournaments.
However, as far as competitions are concerned, Shapovalov plans to play fewer tournaments.
“It's about maintaining that consistency,” he said during a video call from Dubai, where he has spent much of pre-season training. “And the best way to do that is, first of all, to play less, to play when I’m fresh.”
Although Shapovalov is only 26 years old and in his so-called prime, he is no longer that free guy with his cap backwards.
Now he has to deal with injuries – he injured his back at the Stockholm Open in October and suffered a swollen knee at the end of the year – and life off the court has changed too. In September, Shapovalov married his longtime girlfriend and tennis colleague Mirjam Bjorklund (now Shapovalova).
Looking back, Shapovalov admits he lost his way after breaking into the top 10 for the first time.
“The ranking was very important to me, to the point that when I got there I had this feeling of, 'OK, what now?' – he said. “You kind of freeze and don't know what to do next. You almost play too much because you're thinking: Should I keep pushing, try to go even higher?”
“You lose a little bit by doing what got you there in the first place.”
Shapovalov also says that instead of approaching every match with something to prove, he can now play freely.
“I can try my best without the pressure of not knowing if I'll ever make the top 10 or if I'll ever make the semi-finals of a Grand Slam,” he said. “It's about seeing if I can take it even further, and I think those are the things that really excite me.”
While returning to the top 10 is the goal, Shapovalov believes he will still be calm if he fails to reach those heights again.
“I'll be fine if, God forbid, I get injured tomorrow and can't play again,” he said.
“I would just be really grateful for everything I’ve been able to do so far.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 2, 2026.
