Denis Shapovalov excited to play Novak Djokovic with "next level" game

Denis Shapovalov wants to take another step up the ranks on the ATP tour, starting with a good performance against Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open.

The young Canadian grabbed attention by defeating Rafael Nadal at Montreal in 2017 and is now in the Top 30 in the tour rankings. While he calls that win against Nadal a surprise, Shapovalov has a very different mentality going into his third-round meeting against Djokovic.

"I feel my game has reached that next level. I feel very solid as a player now. I feel like I've secured my spot in kind of the ATP Tour, in the rankings. I feel like my level is really there now," he said. "I think probably two years ago I was just happy to be on the court with them, get a couple games. Now I'm thinking how am I going to give a fight to this guy, how am I going to win sets and potentially even the match."

Entering his second full season on tour, Shapovalov says he spent the first season picking up valuable experience, even if he didn't get a lot of big wins.

"Every player has his own things, even the timing you want to eat before the match," he said. "It's something you kind of just learn as you go on. Obviously I've messed up a couple times. I've had an upset stomach. Or  I was little energy during the match.

"It's kind of just learning and adapting," he added. "I think it really takes the full year. It's about not being at the courts too long. When I played my first Slams ... I just wanted to be there the whole time. You learn you get drained after a while. It's just everything like this.

"I felt like I was picking up on new things, learning every week, where I like to play, what I like to do, what I like to do with my off time, when I like to have my days off, everything."

He's now putting that to use, and credits his form at Melbourne to a good build up beforehand.

"I didn't take the extra week in Brisbane. I just played Auckland and here. I've been eating right. I feel like this year could be a potentially big year for me," he said. "Now I know what's really good for me. I feel like this year is a year for me to kind of help myself."

But Shapovalov also acknowledges that he's found it tough to get used to being talked about and having pressure put on him. Now, though, he says he wants to embrace it.

"'Denis is disappointing, Denis this.' But still it does get to you," he said. "I was just thinking to myself, discussing to my team, is this really what I want. Honestly, I came to the realization, yeah, that's what I grew up wanting to do. I want to be a star. I want to be one of the Rogers or Rafas so that young kids and players, they look up to me."

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