Shapovalov passes Raonic as top-ranked player in Canada

May 16 2018, 5:16 am

Say hello to your new tennis king, Canada.

Fresh off cracking the top-3o for the first time in his career, Canadian teenager Denis Shapovalov will be moving up once again after a win over 17th-ranked Tomas Berdych Tuesday at the Italian Open.

And when the next ATP rankings come out on May 21st, the 19-year-old will be the highest-ranked player in Canada.

Shapovalov will bump Milos Raonic from the top spot in the country, a position the 27-year-old Raonic has held for more than seven years.

This news comes just five days after the first meeting between the two Canadian tennis stars at the Madrid Open, won by Shapovalov in straight sets.

This may only be the beginning for Shapovalov, as he is the youngest player to make it into the top-30 on tour since Richard Gasquet in 2005.

It has been a meteoric rise up the ATP rankings for Shapovalov, who was ranked 188th in the world at this time last year. He was ranked 143rd when he entered the Rogers Cup tournament in Montreal last August, before vaulting up to 67th after a breakout performance that included an upset win over Rafael Nadal.

For the first time in his career, Shapovalov will enter a Grand Slam tournament as a seeded player next week, when the French Open kicks off at Roland Garros.

See also
Rob WilliamsRob Williams

+ Offside
+ Tennis
ADVERTISEMENT