Denis Shapovalov sailed into the third round of the U.S. Open with a thrilling yet error-prone victory over France’s Valentin Royer, wrapping up the match with a score of 7-6 (6), 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-3 on Thursday.
With a remarkable sixth break on match point, Shapovalov showcased his resilience in a battle where both competitors faced challenges in holding their serves.
The Canadian, seeded 27th, unleashed an impressive 29 aces but also stacked up 43 unforced errors, two more than Royer, in a gripping encounter that lasted three hours and 36 minutes over just four sets.
Royer struck early, breaking Shapovalov in the first three sets and appeared poised to do so again in the fourth. However, the 26-year-old from Richmond Hill, Ontario, fended off five break points to maintain his serve.
Shapovalov seized control of the set when he broke to love, benefiting from Royer’s double fault on game point, which put him ahead at 4-3.
After holding serve, Shapovalov achieved yet another break when Royer hit the net on match point, sending the home crowd at Court 7 into a frenzy.
Looking ahead, Shapovalov faces a formidable challenge in the next round, set to clash with defending champion and world No. 1 Jannik Sinner from Italy.
In a nail-biting first set, Shapovalov displayed grit, battling back from a break down and forcing a tiebreaker just as Royer was serving for the set.
Royer led 6-5 in the tiebreak, but Shapovalov turned the tide with three consecutive points, sealing the set with a stunning forehand. Following the winning shot, he playfully cupped his ear, drawing cheers from the crowd.
In the second set, Royer again went ahead with an early break at 4-2, maintaining his advantage until he clinched it on his third set point, thwarting Shapovalov’s attempts to rally.
Both players experienced a tumultuous start in the third set, with breaks occurring in the first three games, including a break to love from Royer for a 2-1 lead.
Shapovalov leveled the set at 3-3 with a break in the sixth game but faced Royer’s defenses as he saved three set points to equalize at 5-5 after a brief but fiery exchange with the chair umpire regarding a call.
Ultimately, Shapovalov captured the set on his fifth set point, winning the tiebreaker 7-4 with a spectacular cross-court backhand.
This victory marks Shapovalov’s most successful Grand Slam performance in 2025 thus far.
Having struggled earlier this year, Shapovalov managed to win just one match at the Australian and French Opens before an early exit at Wimbledon.
Later on Thursday, fellow Canadians Gabriel Diallo and Felix Auger-Aliassime will also showcase their talents in second-round matches.
Meanwhile, Leylah Fernandez and American partner Venus Williams triumphed over the highly ranked duo of Ukraine’s Lyudmyla Kichenok and England’s Ellen Perez, winning 7-6, 6-3 in the first round of the women’s doubles.
Ottawa’s Gabriela Dabrowski, teaming up with New Zealand’s Erin Routliffe—who captured the 2023 US Open title together—will kick off their campaign against Czechia’s Marketa Vondrousova and Miriam Skoch on Thursday.
–with contributions from Sportsnet
