OMNIUM BANQUE NATIONALE

August 7, 2024

Denis Shapovalov

Press Conference

B. NAKASHIMA/D. Shapovalov

6-4, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Tell us about your match today.

DENIS SHAPOVALOV: I had two really loose games on my serve. First one -- I mean, one in every set, so that was a big difference.

Then, yeah, I had chances on his serves, but he served really well today. Yeah, that was the difference. He played well in the important moments, and I didn't play so good in the big moments.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You told us before the tournament that you had a stressful time with what happened in Washington, trouble, lack of sleeping, all that stuff. Did that play a role today?

DENIS SHAPOVALOV: I don't know. No. At the end of the day what played a role was me, you know, playing two loose games and him playing solid. So, yeah, it is what it is, yeah.

Q. After those two loose games, I would guess the ball breaks. You seemed to be pretty upset going back to the bench. What specifically made you upset in the way you played?

DENIS SHAPOVALOV: I think I put a lot of pressure on myself. I think I'm pretty tough on myself, especially playing here. It's a tournament where I want to play well and go deep. Yeah, it's frustrating to lose a match like this where I felt like I had more chances.

Then I was holding pretty easy, and I just kind of gave him both sets. So, yeah, that's what was really frustrating.

You know, obviously this tournament means a lot to me. Probably one of the most out of the year. Yeah, it's not easy. I think I'm pretty hard on myself when it comes to how my game is when I come here. So, yeah, that's just why I was pretty frustrated.

Q. Sorry to go back to that story, but I was wondering what's happening with the 50,000 Canadian dollars fine that you got awarded with, and a comment on what Daniil Medvedev said here about the fact that the ATP is trying some changes in the stands? He says it's going to be like, quote, a circus and players have to be like robots.

DENIS SHAPOVALOV: Yeah, but honestly, I mean, I've answered about it already, and it's been literally the only thing that I've been talking about the whole week.

I mean, there's way more better and important things that have happened. Felix won a medal. I haven't had one question about that. So I just don't want to speak about it anymore. It's been going on for too long now, so sorry.

Q. Sometimes fans maybe don't understand how close these matches at the top level are between winning and losing. Maybe could you just talk about how difficult it is when the sets are tight and how quickly it can go either way?

DENIS SHAPOVALOV: I mean, today was a perfect example of that. I had a lot of chances, but he served really well.

Then pretty much in one of my service games I had a loose forehand, and suddenly you're down Love-30, and you are playing with pressure that I hadn't had in the previous service games.

I threw in a couple of loose double faults and, yeah, all of a sudden you're down a break. Same thing, you know, when I had a chance to break back, I missed the return by millimeters. If I would have made it, it would have been Love-40. Unfortunately, it's not.

Yeah, it's a close game, tennis. It's the same thing in the second set. Up 40-Love, I could easily hold that game. Instead he made a couple of clean returns. I threw in a double fault, some bad choices, and all of a sudden the match was over.

It's a tough sport. You've got to be mentally good. If you're not, then you're going to end up like me today (laughing).

Q. You mentioned earlier about how much this tournament means to you. The fact that you had your first big run here at such a young age, do you sense this is something that maybe puts some sort of extra burden on you in order to maybe relive that or something like that?

DENIS SHAPOVALOV: Yeah, like I said, in general I think I'm pretty hard on myself. Maybe that's something I need to change. I need to be better with myself making mistakes and allow myself to maybe not have great weeks and stuff like that and not feel my best.

For sure it's, I don't want to say, added pressure because in a way it's super exciting for me to play this week, but of course, it's not easy. It's a tournament where I kind of made my name for myself, first came onto the scene. I feel like I owe it to the fans to really bring out a good level for myself.

Yeah, in a way it's challenging. I want to make a great week this week, but yeah, maybe I need to try to be a little bit easier on myself and know that most weeks actually go like it did today, unfortunately, with tennis.

Yeah, I'm sure other players, they lose early as well whenever they play at home. So it's just something that happens. You have to kind of go into these weeks a little bit treating it like any other week.

Q. So your friend Felix won a medal.

DENIS SHAPOVALOV: Yes.

Q. How did that make you feel?

DENIS SHAPOVALOV: It's unbelievable. Thank you for asking that, yeah (laughing). It's insane. Super proud of him. Super proud of him and Gaby, of course.

Growing up with Felix, I remember him from 6 years old. To come all this way, I don't think we even imagined playing the Olympics and getting medals, so for him to achieve something like this...

And, unfortunately, he was so close in singles as well, and I really feel he deserved it with the wins that he had, but for him to get that bronze medal, it's amazing for Canada, for him, and for everyone.

I feel super proud as a Canadian, and I'm sure everybody does as well. Yeah, it was also fun to watch him yesterday celebrating it on center court. I could see the happiness in his eyes. It's definitely a warm feeling I think for everyone, yeah.

Thanks.