Canadian tennis star and top-20 ATP player Denis Shapovalov did not have the most remarkable 2021 season. The 22-year old struggled the entire year as he faced a string of tight losses on every surface.

Sadly, he also did not win any ATP title in 2021. However, he did reach his first Grand Slam semifinal in Wimbledon. Eventually, he lost that match to World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, who went on to win the championship.

Undoubtedly, Shapovalov had been looking forward to the new 2022 season to prove a lot of doubters wrong. Moreover, the Canadian star finally would have wished to secure big wins under his belt.

ATP World No. 14 Denis Shapovalov is treated to bad news in Sydney

Athletes on both the ATP and WTA circuits have been touching down in Australia to begin their road to the Australian Open. Undoubtedly, everybody, including the fans and the players, is looking forward to the first Slam of the year.

However, Shapovalov, in a Twitter post today, announced some quite unfortunate news for fans. Unfortunately, the 22-year-old has tested positive for the virus. In fact, he tested positive for it right after his arrival in Sydney.

“I am following all protocols, including isolation,” Shapovalov writes in his post. Talking about his own health at the moment, he continued sharing. “Right now I am experiencing minor symptoms and look forward to getting back on the court when it is safe to do so,” he said.

Finally, he ends the message on a ‘jolly’ note, wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday. This unfortunate turn of events is certainly a blow to the youngster’s campaign bid for early 2022.

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With the likes of Rafael Nadal, Dominic Thiem, and Novak Djokovic uncertain about their Australian Open presence, Shapovalov must have been one of the players looking to make headway in their absence.

Many players looked to participate in ATP 250 tournaments as warmup tournaments to the Grand Slam of the year. However, it has all turned sour, as he himself falls ill to the virus.

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Shapovalov trained and practiced with Rafa Nadal this month

The world looked forward to Rafael Nadal‘s return to professional tennis after a considerably long hiatus. The Spaniard made his return at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in mid-December.

In fact, leading up to the tournament in Abu Dhabi, he trained with none other than Shapovalov. Moreover, it was Shapovalov who supplied eager fans with some good news regarding Rafa. He expressed his awe for the 20-time Grand Slam champion after training with him.

“He killed me on the court yesterday so I think he’s feeling pretty good. It’s incredible to be out on the court with him. Every time I’m hitting against him, I’m just like, ‘Damn, this guy’s good’,” Shapovalov said.

A few days ago, Nadal had announced the same news as Shapovalov, when he tested positive for the virus as well. Do you think there is a possibility of seeing a new champion emerge this year if the big names don’t play or are sick? Let us know in the comments.

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