Auger-Aliassime, Shapovalov look for injury relief as Australian Open set to open

Canadian men's tennis was plagued by injuries in 2023.

But as the 2024 season begins, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov have both been pronounced — if not good as new — at least good to go for their first-round matches at the Australian Open Monday.

Auger-Aliassime, the No. 27 seed, faces former U.S. Open champion Dominic Thiem of Austria.

Shapovalov, of Richmond Hill, Ont., saw his ranking plummet outside the top 100 last November for the first time since he entered that elite company at age 18. He'll play 18-year-old Czech qualifier Jakub Mensik.

Both men suffered injuries to their left knees during the previous season.

Auger-Aliassime, of Montreal, says the two players have followed similar paths throughout their careers, noting the trend continues as they seek fresh starts at Melbourne Park.

"The realities of a sporting career kind of caught up with us. We were privileged, fortunate ever since Shapo made his semifinal in Montreal [The National Bank Open, in 2017]. Every year went better and better for me, too," Auger-Aliassime said, noting both players managed to make a grand slam semi-final each year.

"And here we are on the same track again. We both had complicated seasons last year because of injury, and we'll both now have to learn to manage that aspect of our careers".

Shapovalov was ranked No. 18 a year ago. But he went a pedestrian 13-13 in 2023 in the throes of knee discomfort he first felt in Vienna during a match against Daniil Medvedev in Oct. 2022.

After reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon in July, the 24-year-old didn't play.

He tried to mount a comeback for the North American summer hard-court swing, including in Toronto and the U.S. Open, but continued to be hampered by knee trouble.

Shapov