TORONTO — The atmosphere at Sobeys Stadium electrified as Denis Shapovalov celebrated his second break against his American rival, Learner Tien. The 26-year-old from Richmond Hill soared into the air, urging even more support from the roaring home crowd.
The fans were enthusiastic. Yet, despite Shapovalov’s relentless effort, victory slipped from his grasp.
In a hard-fought match, Shapovalov fell to Tien, 7-6 (4), 7-5, marking a disappointing exit in the first round of the National Bank Open presented by Rogers. The Canadian admitted that his defeat against a lower-ranked opponent was “probably completely mental,” failing to capitalize on critical moments.
“I wasn’t outplayed — I lost today,” Shapovalov stated with a serious demeanor. “I had it all under control, had the first set and the second, but nerves crept in, and things just didn’t go my way.”
“It’s disappointing, of course,” he added.
Thus, Shapovalov, currently ranked 29th in the world, will exit early from his own tournament, defeated by the 61st-ranked Tien. Notably, he hasn’t won a match at his national open in six years. “I don’t usually keep track of those things,” he said with a shrug.
For a time, it seemed the crowd favorite was poised for a comeback. Shapovalov started strong, breaking serve early and showcasing his skills with a trio of aces in his subsequent service game. However, his momentum quickly fizzled.
During the first-set tiebreaker, with the crowd rallying behind him with chants of “Let’s go Shapo!” the Canadian found it hard to reclaim control. He put forth an impressive effort, diving for remarkable returns, but ultimately sent the ball wide.
“I felt good after the first set — it just slipped away when I couldn’t serve it out,” Shapovalov reflected.
Pumped from the beginning, he was vocal with phrases of encouragement like “yeah!” and “come on!” But the left-hander admitted he never quite found his rhythm, noting the stadium felt “pretty swirly.” “My feet weren’t adjusting well to the ball today,” he acknowledged.
Coming off a four-match win streak and a title victory in Los Cabos, Mexico, at an ATP 250 event where he didn’t drop a set, Shapovalov entered the tournament filled with hope.
The former world No. 10 and Wimbledon semifinalist has been on a challenging journey back from a knee injury that sidelined him for half of the 2023 season. He returned in January 2024 to find his ranking had plummeted to 137th.
This loss was part of a disappointing day for Canadian tennis. Earlier, 2019 NBO champion Bianca Andreescu withdrew due to an ankle injury, and Leylah Fernandez, fresh off a major title win just days before, faced an unexpected defeat.
Shapovalov once made waves in the tournament, defeating world No. 2 Rafael Nadal back in 2017 and reaching the semifinals. His last victory came in 2019 against world No. 40 Pierre-Hugues Herbert, and since then, he’s faced five consecutive losses.
In the second set on Tuesday, he again broke early, but a slip in his subsequent service game, punctuated by a double fault — one of eight committed throughout the match — shifted the momentum.
“I never felt outplayed or like the match was slipping away from me,” Shapovalov said. “It’s just too bad — too many errors today.”
As the final mistake of the night materialized with a wide backhand, Shapovalov took off his white hat and approached the net to shake hands. Walking off the court, he acknowledged the crowd with a small wave. His eighth appearance at the NBO lasted just an hour and 35 minutes.
“Until the very end, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I would win this match,” he concluded.
