Denis Shapovalov has shared a memorable encounter with Roger Federer, which took place off the court during his breakout 2017 season. The Canadian, currently ranked world No. 43, recalled how Federer stopped his car to greet him in Basel, Switzerland.
A Special Welcome in Basel
Shapovalov, now 27, was walking into the tournament in Basel when Federer, who was on his way to a family dinner, pulled over to chat. “Roger was a really big player who welcomed me,” Shapovalov told the ATP. “I remember going to Basel the first year to play there, and I was walking into the tournament actually, and there was a car pulling out… Roger basically stops the car, gets out and starts chatting to me and welcoming me to his city.”
Federer, despite having limited time at home, spent 10 to 15 minutes talking with the young player. “He told me he was on the way to have dinner with his parents. There are obviously not many weeks that he gets to be home, so for him to get out of the car and chat to me for 10, 15 minutes, it meant a lot for me,” Shapovalov added.
A Lasting Memory
Shapovalov had previously warmed up Federer for the Australian Open and had interacted with him during his Montreal run in 2017. “We spoke a few times before that because I had warmed him up for the Australian Open. We had another interaction when I had the run in Montreal as well in 2017. We’d spoken a few times, so I knew him a little bit, but it was just a moment I think I'll always remember.”
Had Shapovalov won his second-round match in Basel that year, he would have faced Federer, but their only on-court meeting came at the 2019 Miami Open semi-finals, where Federer won 6-2 6-4 and went on to lift the trophy.
Shapovalov has two career wins over Rafael Nadal, including his Montreal victory in 2017, but has never beaten Novak Djokovic, holding a 0-8 record against him.
