What John McEnroe said about Denis Shapovalov in 2017 as he loses again at the Canadian Open

It wasn’t to be for Denis Shapovalov in Toronto as he suffered another early exit at his home tournament.

The Canadian star travelled to Toronto full of confidence, as Shapovalov had won the Los Cabos Open last time out.

However, his stay in Canada was short-lived, as Shapovalov lost to Learner Tien in his opening match, 6-7, 5-7.

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After the match, Shapovalov explained why he struggles in Toronto, claiming he doesn’t feel ‘comfortable’ on the courts.

Since reaching the Canadian Open semifinals in 2017, Shapovalov hasn’t been past the third round of his home tournament, something few would’ve believed possible eight years ago.

It was in 2017 that Shapovalov was the talk of the tennis world, as one ATP Tour legend claimed watching him was like looking in the mirror.

John McEnroe once said watching Denis Shapovalov was like watching himself in the mirror

Appearing in just his second Grand Slam tournament, Shapovalov advanced through qualifying to make his presence felt at the 2017 US Open.

Making his way through to the fourth round, Shapovalov caught the eye of tennis legend John McEnroe, who shared his thoughts on the Canadian’s chances at the US Open during an appearance on Eurosport.

“I don’t know if he can go all the way, but I think the way things stand down in the lower half, I don’t see any reason why he can’t make a deeper run,” he said.

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McEnroe then compared Shapovalov to himself, praising the youngster for his ‘confidence’ and speed.

“He’s playing with a lot of confidence, he’s extremely quick,” he said.

“I love the guy, he reminds me of someone, someone who used to play this game long ago.

“It’s awesome, he’s learning quick, he believes in himself, it’s amazing to sort of watch yourself in the mirror.

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“He plays the way I’d play if I was 18 now, the game has changed, but in essence he’s doing the same thing.”

Shapovalov couldn’t quite go all the way in New York eight years ago, as his run came to an end in the fourth round, losing out to Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta in straight sets.

For all the excitement around Shapovalov in 2017, it’s probably fair to say he hasn’t quite lived up to that potential since.

That’s not to say he hasn’t enjoyed good results over the years, as Shapovalov reached a Grand Slam semifinal at Wimbledon in 2021 and a Masters 1000 final in Paris two years earlier, but the Canadian certainly hasn’t had a ‘McEnroe-level’ career just yet.

His results at the Canadian Open, his home tournament, have been particularly disappointing, as the 26-year-old continues to struggle in Montreal and Toronto.

Denis Shapovalov’s disappointing Canadian Open record

The Canadian Open rotates between two locations, as the men and women play in alternate venues, Montreal and Toronto, every year.

Shapovalov has enjoyed more success at one location than the other, reaching the semifinals of the Montreal event back in 2017.

Year Performance Opponent Score Match wins 2017 Lost in SF Alexander Zverev 4-6, 5-7 4 2019 Lost in 2R Dominic Thiem 4-6, 6-3, 3-6 1 2022 Lost in 1R Alex de Minaur 5-7, 6-7 0 2024 Lost in 1R Brandon Nakashima 4-6, 5-7 0 Denis Shapovalov’s record at the Canadian Open (Montreal)

In total, Shapovalov has won five matches in Montreal throughout his career, but hasn’t won a match in six years.

Year Performance Opponent Score Match wins 2016 Lost in 2R Grigor Dimitrov 4-6, 3-6 1 2018 Lost in 3R Robin Haase 5-7, 2-6 2 2021 Lost in 2R Frances Tiafoe 1-6, 4-6 0 2025 Lost in 2R Learner Tien 6-7, 5-7 0 Denis Shapovalov’s record at the Canadian Open (Toronto)

In comparison, Shapovalov has won just three matches in Toronto, last picking up a win seven years ago.

Whilst Shapovalov believes he’s struggled the most in Toronto, his performances at the Canadian Open don’t seem to be location-specific, as he hasn’t won a match at either venue since 2019.

However, if Montreal is where the 26-year-old feels the most comfortable, then he’ll surely be looking forward to next year’s tournament.

Still ranked inside the world’s top 30, perhaps a deep run at his home tournament is what Shapovalov needs to take him to the next level.

There’s still time for him to live up to his potential, but only time will tell if ‘the mirror of McEnroe’ can become a true contender at the sport’s biggest tournaments.

Shapovalov is scheduled to return to action at the Cincinnati Open, which begins on Monday, August 4.

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