Shapovalov struggles with injuries but finds confidence in Los Cabos final

Denis Shapovalov insists there's nothing wrong with his tennis. It's his body, rather, that's been holding him back.

"It's been a tricky year because I have been feeling good on court," Shapovalov said Monday in Montreal. "I've been feeling good in practices, but I've been struggling physically. It's been a very challenging year for my body.

"There's a lot of weeks out of the year that I have been trying to do my best to play through it as best as I can, knowing that it's not going to be ideal playing injured or playing hurt. I've been trying to push through."

Despite his injury struggles, the 27-year-old from Richmond Hill, Ont., arrived in Montreal for the National Bank Open fresh off Saturday's final in an ATP 250 hard-court event in Los Cabos, Mexico.

The Canadian won four consecutive matches before losing in straight sets to France's Arthur Gea in the championship match. Shapovalov fell a win short of defending the Los Cabos crown he'd earned in 2025.

"It was definitely a great week in Los Cabos," Shapovalov said. "I ran out a little bit of energy there at the end. I played a lot of great matches coming back from an injury. It's never easy. I definitely couldn't have asked for more from myself for a week like that."

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Shapovalov has endured a frustrating 2026 season, compiling a 13-15 record.

After fracturing a rib at the Queen's Club Championships grass court tournament, Shapovalov retired from his opening-round Wimbledon match June 29 against Pablo Carreno Busta because of a shoulder injury. He didn't play again until Los Cabos.

"I've been struggling with a lot of injuries this season, pretty much since after Miami," he said. "It's