INDIAN WELLS — This time last year, Denis Shapovalov was playing an ITF Pro Circuit in the boondocks of Quebec. On Thursday—in his BNP Paribas Open debut—the 18-year-old dispatched qualifier Ricaradas Berankis, 6-3, 6-4 for his first-ever win at the Californian ATP Masters 1000.
"I felt really comfortable. The fans really helped me out," Shapovalov said. "I always play well when they're cheering me on. There's a lot of Canadians and even Americans cheering me on so it's pretty awesome."
It may be hard to believe, but Shapovalov was ranked outside of the Top 250 at the start of 2017 (he's now No. 44).
"A year ago I was playing ITF Futures and ATP Challengers and I feel very lucky to be here in Indian Wells," Shapovalov said. "It's definitely one of the best tournaments I've ever been to."
His ranking has been skyrocketing for the past 12 months thanks to two ATP Challenger titles, a semifinal run in Montreal (with wins over Rafael Nadal and Juan Martin del Potro) and a fourth-round showing at the US Open.
"I don't see myself as a favorite in any match. I'm still very young on the tour and there's many players I haven't played," Shapovalov said. "But I definitely do go out in these matches with confidence and I believe in myself that I can beat any of these guys."
He certainly seems to be enjoying the process, despite the fact that being on tour full-time is a huge learning experience, particularly for a teenager.
