'Dedicated my whole life…' Furious Denis Shapovalov hits back at ex-coach Mikhail Youzhny for his 'awful' claims about the Canadian 'not giving everything'

After Mikhail Youzhny’s claims about Shapovalov not keeping tennis as his first priority on many occasions and things outside the sport affecting his game became a talking point among the fans, the Canadian came out firing shots against his ex-coach on social media. Shapovalov did not mention Youzhny’s name but took a direct shot against the Russian.

Awful how can someone can go out of their way to say i’m not giving everything for my tennis when i’ve dedicated my whole life to it from the age of 5. Not to mention being injured since Wimbledon, rehabbing and doing everything I can every single day just to get back on court. Denis Shapovalov posted on X.

Denis Shapovalov desperate to make a comeback

Denis Shapovalov seems to be going through a tough phase, at least in his professional life as the Canadian is struggling to make a comeback to the tour. However, the 24-year-old seems to be making honest efforts to find the best way to stage a comeback.

The former World No.10 is ready to even play Qualifiers at ASB Classics. As per a report in stuff.co.nz, Shapovalov has reached out to the tournament director Nicolas Lamperin to hand him a wildcard either for the qualifying draw or the main draw. However, possibilities for both look bleak.

The Canadian is on the waiting list for the qualifiers with a few players ahead of him in the queue. Meanwhile, for the three wildcard entrants for the main draw, Gael Monfils and Richard Gasquet already seem to be leasing the race. The one left spot is up for grabs for the winner of the New Zealand wildcard playoff tournament.

Nevertheless, the tournament director believes there can be some adjustments made here and there to accommodate Shapovalov in the main draw or even in the qualifier’s draw. In any case, the Canadian will be eager to dish out his best performance and carry the momentum into the year’s first Grand Slam- the 2024 Australian Open.