Will he break through? Can he do it? Is Denis Shapovalov as good as he appears to be?
The answers will come soon enough.
Likely, in the not-to-distant future.
But let’s remember, the blond kid with the flowing hair and the magnificent lefty one-handed backhand is just 18.
A lot can happen between now and stardom. Witness Eugenie Bouchard.
Now ranked No. 51 on the ATP computer, Shapovalov broke out this summer, making a run to the semi-finals at the Rogers Cup Masters in August, beating Rafa Nadal and Juan Martin del Potro in the process.
Then it was on to the U.S. Open in New York, where he played his way through the qualifying to the fourth round with the support of the Ashe Stadium crowds that went crazy for him.
Last weekend, he led Canada’s Davis Cup team back to the World Group with a pair of singles wins against India.
Not only can the kid play, he’s got pizzazz, verve and a fighter’s heart.
And that gorgeous backhand!
Does he have a future in the tennis limelight or–given his vibrant personality–a shot at becoming a cross-over sports-popstar?
For an assessment, I called Stephanie Myles, who is one of Canada’s premier tennis writers, working for–among others–tennis.life and The New York Times.
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