Shapovalov on coach Tipsarevic & 'the only thing that's kept me in the game'

Denis Shapovalov is only 25 years old and has already cracked the Top 10 in the PIF ATP Rankings, reached a major semi-final, won two ATP Tour titles and defeated superstars like Rafael Nadal and Jannik Sinner. Currently the No. 58 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, the Canadian is not satisfied where he is.

Less than two years on from a knee injury that hampered his progress, Shapovalov is keen to not just return to the Top 10, but to push to even greater heights.

“It's the only thing that's kept me in the game, to be honest, trying to get back to the top level of where I was, or trying to go even further,” Shapovalov, who is competing this week at the Adelaide International, told ATPTour.com. “When I stopped with my injury, I told my team, I told my family, that it's not interesting for me to be back and to be an average player. I've been at the top of the game. I've achieved a lot, I think, in my short career.

“So for me, it's either trying to push those limits and go even further, or to stop. For me to be just a mediocre player, it's not for me. It's not interesting.”

A step the lefty took towards climbing back to the top was hiring former World No. 8 Janko Tipsarevic as part of his coaching team. The Serbian is a four-time ATP Tour titlist who competed in the Nitto ATP Finals in 2011 and 2012.

From the middle part of last year, Shapovalov said he had “a very good team” in place. But as a group they made a decision.

“I felt, and the team felt like we needed to add somebody and we've been looking for a long time to find the right fit, to find somebody that we think can fit in with the team and help get me back to the top level,” Shapovalov said. “I think it's super important to have someone like Janko, someone that knows what I'm going through, knows the experiences and the feelings that I feel, and someone that I can really discuss certain things that others might not quite understand.

“I think it is tough to understand what it feels like to play a semi-final in a Grand Slam or a big moment match, unless you've been there yourself.”

Shapovalov enjoyed watching Tipsarevic when he was younger — the 2012 Canadian ATP Masters 1000 semi-final between the Serbian and countryman Novak Djokovic came to mind.

“I was a huge fan of his game,” Shapovalov said. “I always thought he had a really cool style, first of all, but also was really entertaining to watch. He really dug in matches, and he really grinded. So he was an exciting player to witness live.”

Watch Shapovalov's Adelaide R1 Highlights:

Tipsarevic’s role will be to focus on the little things that most people might not notice, to help Shapovalov figure things out with his game.

“I'll feel it looks fine, but I feel something's off. And we can really nitpick at things together. But also the experience, you can't teach it. You just have to have it,” Shapovalov said. “A player like him has it. He's been through a lot, he had a very good, long career, a lot of good matches, so he understands what I'm feeling when I'm on board. And it gives me confidence as well to know that when I look over, to know that my coach knows what I'm feeling in that moment, and he can really help.”

The final tournament of Tipsarevic’s career was Stockholm in 2019. Ironically, Shapovalov won his first ATP Tour title at that very event. In the final, the Canadian defeated Filip Krajinovic, who Tipsarevic had already started helping in a coaching capacity.

“I didn't know too much of him, but we started to speak late last year, and we did Basel together, just trying to understand each other, see if this will be a fit, if we get along, if we think the same way,” Shapovalov said. “And I want to say we clicked almost instantly. We have the same beliefs. We think a lot of the same things on and off the court. So I think it's been a start to a great partnership.”

It is all part of Shapovalov’s plan to return to the top of the sport. He has been amongst the elite before and is keen to put himself in the same position again.

“I think it's a sense of accomplishment or relief getting to those certain matches. But it's something that I feel like I owe to myself. It's something that I dreamt of when I was a kid, to play in those big moments and play those big matches,” Shapovalov said. “It's a lot of sacrifice and a lot of effort to be a pro tennis player. So for me to put in all that sacrifice to be a mediocre player, it's not worth it. So it was like, ‘Okay, I'm ready to do whatever it takes, and to try my best to come back to the top’. I really want to go after it and try to make it worthwhile.”