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U.S. OPEN

August 31, 2018

Denis Shapovalov

New York, NY, USA

K. ANDERSON/D. Shapovalov

4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What can you say about the match?
DENIS SHAPOVALOV: Yeah, another crazy match for me. It's great being on the court there against Kevin. I mean, he's proven that he's a top 10, top 5 ATP player. He's been playing unbelievable this year. Last year as well. He's defending a lot of points here. But he's shown that he's capable of playing really good tennis. Today was another day.

I'm really happy I was able to compete out there with him. Yeah, it was a really fun match to be a part of. Obviously a lot of ups and downs. It was a battle out there. I gave it all I had. Nothing to regret from it.

Q. Doesn't get much closer than that. From your perspective, what was the difference?
DENIS SHAPOVALOV: Nothing really. I mean, it's a couple points here and there. Like I said, it was a close match. I had a lot of chances to break back, wasn't able to do it today. He served big when he needed to, played unbelievably big. Yeah, it was a great match.

Actually, I want to take the time to say that one thing that I really appreciated from him or, you know, I really respected, in the first set when he had a little bit of a slip, he wanted to call the trainer. Instead of doing it before I was serving at 5-4 to take the medical, he waited till the set break. Not a lot of players would do that. It's really great to see that from fellow athletes.

Like I said, it was an unbelievable match from both of us. We were both really happy with our tennis. It's great to be out there. Yeah, obviously it's disappointing to lose, but a lot of positives from it.

Q. You mentioned one of your goals this year was to win a tour event. Grand Slam season is done. You have a couple more months to go. If that happens, it's going to be awesome. If it doesn't, how would you assess your season overall?
DENIS SHAPOVALOV: I think so far my season has been better than I expected. I've been playing unbelievably well throughout the season. I've really improved on clay courts. To be honest, my main goal this season was to improve my game, and I feel like I've come back here a year -- from last year, it's been a year now, and I feel like such a different player. I feel like I've improved so much in my game, mentally.

I just feel like I belong out there this year. I'm able to compete with anyone out there, as I showed today. I feel like my game's at a different level.

I'm really happy with how the season has come to this point. Hopefully, like you said, I can do well in the next couple tournaments. Even if not, my main goal is still, like I say, I'm 19, so the main thing is to keep improving. Even if the results don't come now, I'm trying to improve my game for years to come.

It's not the biggest deal if I don't win a title this year.

Q. Take us through the strange moment in the fifth set when the chair overruled. Point was still going. Crowd got upset. Was it called out and the chair reversed it?
DENIS SHAPOVALOV: Yeah, the linesman at the baseline called it out, then the head ref overruled it, the chair umpire.

Q. Called it good?
DENIS SHAPOVALOV: Yeah. Well, yeah, which it was. It was clearly good. It's unfortunate that that happened, but it's a sport. Things like this happen. Obviously it's bad luck that it happened on such a big point, such a big situation.

I'm not going to blame the whole match for this. It's one point. There's probably, I don't know, 500 points today. It's normal. It's tennis. It happens. Everyone's human. Everyone's allowed to make mistakes.

Q. You talked the other day about wanting to grow tennis in Canada. Can you envision a time where you and Felix, several Canadians, are in the top 10 and winning tournaments?
DENIS SHAPOVALOV: Definitely. That's always been the dream and the hope, especially for me, for Felix, to be on top competing against each other, being two of the best Canadians out there.

It's what we grew up together hoping to do. Hopefully in the next couple years, it will be possible. Obviously we don't know what the future holds in terms of how we'll play, injuries, stuff like this. That would definitely be the hope.

I feel like we've had Milos, Vasek, who have paved the way. We have me and Felix who are up-and-coming if we can, I don't know, take that, like you said, go to the top, go to the top 10, whatever. I feel like Canadian tennis then will jump another level, and there will be so many kids playing. It's definitely a huge goal of mine and I'm sure it is for Felix, as well.

Q. Felix made the statement recently about the changes in Davis Cup. He said it was a dream of his to play a Davis Cup Final in front of his home crowd, that's probably going to never happen because of the new formula. What is your take?
DENIS SHAPOVALOV: I have the exact same take as Felix. It's absolutely unfortunate that it's come to this, that we're not going to be able to play Davis Cup at home. It's a feeling that you're not able to get in any other tournament, any other event.

The few times I played at home, it's been a couple of the best weeks of my life. I remember winning the tie for India. It's a moment I'll never forget, that I'm going to cherish. The moment of the fans supporting you. It's just absolutely incredible.

First of all, for the next generation coming up, they're never going to have that feeling or chance to play at home. It's really saddening. Like Felix said, our dream has always been to lift the Davis Cup trophy at home. Unfortunately with what's come from this, we'll never be able to do it.

Q. It's a new stadium, pretty noisy. What is it like playing there?
DENIS SHAPOVALOV: It was great. I really liked the court. I really enjoyed it. The only thing that bothered me a little bit, especially when the roof closed, it was like the screen. It's a huge screen right in front of you. They're constantly showing replays, showing live points. It's really tough to focus out there. I mean, it's like right in front of your face, and it's massive.

I know on Grandstand, like they do the same, and on Arthur Ashe, but it's not in your face. It's a little bit away so you don't see it. But this one is directly behind the player. It's a little bit distracting. Other than that, I mean, it was unbelievable to play there, on Louis Armstrong. It was great.

By the fifth set, the stands got packed. The fans were so with me. Obviously I love the fans here in New York. They seem to always be on my side. They've been supporting me through juniors. It was a great feeling being out there, yeah, playing that match.

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