OMNIUM BANQUE NATIONALE

August 4, 2026

Denis Shapovalov

Press Conference

Z. SVAJDA/D. Shapovalov

4-6, 6-4, 3-0 (ret.)

Denis Shapovalov

THE MODERATOR: Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the press conference of Denis Shapovalov. First of all, Denis, I know this is not the result you were hoping for, but could you briefly share with us what happened after the first set?

DENIS SHAPOVALOV: Yeah. I mean, been struggling with an ankle injury since the finals. Seems I sprained it or did something during the finals in Los Cabos. So it's been pretty painful the last few days, and definitely not easy with the travel and everything.

But, of course, playing in Canada, I wanted to make my best effort to play in front of the fans. And, yeah, unfortunately, just couldn't get past the finished line.

I felt like other parts of my body were starting to go. I started having muscle tension and problems in my hamstring, in my quad. I started to feel my knee.

So it was just a combination of things that got pretty bad from overcompensating from the ankle.

So, yeah, frustrating, but, yeah, I'll try to regroup, get healthy again, and hopefully I'll be good for Cincy.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you. Questions, please.

Q. Denis, obviously it hurts. But were you okay at the start of the game, at the start of the match?

DENIS SHAPOVALOV: No. Like I said, I've been dealing with this since the finals of Los Cabos. So, yeah, I've been in a lot of pain.

Q. Maybe just to clarify, were there any thoughts that you were going to pull out before? How tough was it for you to just start that match?

DENIS SHAPOVALOV: Yeah. It was tough. I mean, look, I felt like I was hitting really well yesterday and this morning in the warmup, but, yeah, it was a question mark. Even today, during the warmup, we weren't sure. I was trying to feel how the ankle was feeling.

Like I said, I wanted to make an effort for the fans here. It's a very special tournament for me. So I wanted to go out there and give it my best effort.

Yeah, and unfortunately, it was just tough. The body just got worse and the body kept telling me no.

Q. Denis, how can you describe the frustration of the momentum you were able to build last week, coming to a place like this where you have such special moments, only to have it, once again, interrupted by injury which is kind of a familiar pattern for you over the last few years?

DENIS SHAPOVALOV: Yeah, it's been very tricky. Like I mentioned, it's been an annoying year. I've been building good momentum, playing well in Indian Wells. Miami, okay, was tough. And then injuries kind of started from there after.

So even weeks, like Munich, where I was kind of building some momentum, they were interrupted by pains and aches. And it's just been kind of one thing after another, it feels like.

So it's frustrating, but, look, I played Wimbledon with a fractured rib. I played here with a swollen ankle. And, yeah, I'm still competing. I'm still close to these guys, you know.

Last week in Los Cabos I was feeling good, and I managed to get a good result out of it, obviously. So the key for me is to try to take a bit more time and be healthy.

Unfortunately this tour nowadays is very unforgiving. There's not many weeks where you can just sit back and rest.

So it's tough. It's tough. But, yeah, we have to do it.

A guy like Jack, just as an example, he's been struggling, and he's been having to make some tough calls, even last week in Washington pulling out.

So I might have to start making some of those tougher calls soon, just prioritizing the body, because, again, yeah, I know that if I'm healthy and I'm playing well, I'm able to produce a high level.

So, yeah, it is what it is.

Q. Denis, you said you made an effort to play in front of Montreal crowd. Do you think for the cost and are you afraid for the next week and the next month maybe of the consequences that you decided to play today?

DENIS SHAPOVALOV: Definitely. Definitely with how bad the body got today, it's probably not great that I stepped on court today.

Yeah. But, again, it was a call that I made, you know, with all the feedback that I was given from my team, from everyone. I decided I wanted to make an effort, see how the ankle is.

And, yeah, we'll have to reassess. Now I need to take time off, heal everything that felt bad today, and hopefully I'll be ready for Cincy. If not, then, yeah, we have to assess it then.

THE MODERATOR: Okay. Thank you, everyone.