We won't forget Shapovalov's run, but it's Carreno Busta who advances

NEW YORK—The world loves a teenage sensation. It's in our DNA to be envious of the youth, to desire to change places with them and feel that carefree naivety once again. New York City, especially, eats up a teenage storyline, most recently losing its collective mind over a 15-year-old CiCi Bellis in 2014.

This week it was Denis Shapovalov’s turn to play that role. Success this summer has come rapidly for the sport's latest baby-faced sensation.

Yet, as developed as he is for an 18-year-old, he's still just a kid. He only just cracked the Top 100 this year and his greenness showed on Sunday in a 7-6 (2), 7-6 (4), 7-6 (3) loss to Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open.

Shapovalov got a break in the first set, and saw two set points, but failed to convert. He led again in the third set, having a chance for 4-0, but again faltered when he needed it most.

All credit to 26-year-old Carreno Busta for reaching his second career major quarterfinal. The word of the day for the Spaniard was “amazing.”

“It’s [my] second quarterfinal in a row,” Carreno Busta said. “I obviously didn't play Wimbledon. It's amazing. It's the first time I play singles on this court. It's amazing. The atmosphere is amazing.”

For the better part of the last decade, youth in the men's game has been pushed aside by late-20s-to-mid-30s dominance. The world has embraced the aging trend: Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Stan Wawrinka and Rafael Nadal are all at least 30.

At 26, Carreno Busta can be considered a veteran. The world No. 19 gets a lot of balls back and has a game built on controlled aggression. Case in point, Shapovalov hit 54 winners to Carreno Busta’s 25, but piled up 55 unforced errors to the Spaniard’s 29.

The aging of the game has removed some of the pressure on teenagers to crack the elite ranks before their 20th birthday, but there are a few talented youngsters who want it all right now, like Shapovalov.

“We're definitely making an impact,” Shapovalov said about the young stars on tour. “There is a lot of young guys coming up and doing really well. I said it from before: I think in a year or two, the rankings are really going to change. It’s kind of a transition time for the ATP.”

Until now, teenage prodigies were becoming a rare breed. The only true example of recent youthful success has been 20-year-old Alexander Zverev. There are just three teens—Shapovalov, Andrey Rublev and Frances Tiafoe—in the Top 100.

The past month has been, in his own words, life changing for the 18-year-old Shapovalov. He has scored wins over Juan Martin del Potro, Rafael Nadal and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, to name a few.

“The month of August has been absolutely life-changing for me,” Shapovalov said. “But I feel like after the Open, I'm going to have a little bit of time to take it all in, everything that's been happening to me.”

Watching him compete, it’s easy to forget that he’s just 18. With such fast success will come even bigger expectations. Players his age should be debating over which college to go to instead of carrying the hopes of the next generation on their shoulders. Remarkably, he seems very well-prepared for the ups and downs that lie ahead.

"I'm playing unbelievable tennis right now, but it's not going to be like this every week," Shapovalov said. "I have been very lucky. There's going to be a lot of tough weeks ahead, and I'm ready for that, as well."

But before anyone gets ahead of themselves, remember that until August the only reason anyone outside of Canada really knew Shapovalov’s name was because of the horrific Davis Cup incident he was involved in.

His performances this month have helped everyone forget that mistake, and he certainly learned from it. It also helps that his flashy game style is well-suited to thrilling packed crowds thanks to deft touch shots, powerful net rushes and sizzling winners off both wings. Everyone is yearning for Shapovalov to be the real deal, to be the next Zverev, but it's too soon to put that pressure on him.

“I did have that confidence that I can make it this far, but to be honest, this whole season has been going really quickly for me,” Shapovalov said. “My goal was to be inside the Top 150 by the end of the year when I had started, and now Top 50 seems doable.”

He’ll rise to No. 51 after the US Open. Meanwhile, Carreno Busta still has work to do as he seeks a spot in his first career major semifinal on Tuesday.

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