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Match Details
Fixture: (29) Denis Shapovalov vs Kei Nishikori
Date: April 26, 2025
Tournament: Mutua Madrid Open 2025
Round: Second Round (Round of 64)
Venue: Caja Magica, Madrid, Spain
Surface: Clay
Category: ATP Masters 1000
Prize Money: $8,619,262
Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TSN | India - Sony LIV
Denis Shapovalov vs Kei Nishikori
29th-seeded Denis Shapovalov will face 2014 runner-up Kei Nishikori in the second round of the 2025 Madrid Masters on Saturday (April 26).
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Shapovalov has enjoyed a respectable comeback on the ATP Tour in 2025 after having been ranked outside the men's top 100 at this time last year. The Canadian rose to as high as 28th in the singles rankings after winning his third career title in Dallas last month.
The 26-year-old's claycourt season, however, got off to a worrisome start at the BMW Open earlier this month, as he was forced to retire midway through his first-round match against lucky loser Diego Dedura-Palomero due to an undisclosed injury. Having received a first-round bye in Madrid, he will be eager to match his career-best result of reaching the semifinals of the 1000-level event in 2018.
Nishikori, meanwhile, is currently a shadow of the player he once was when he finished runner-up to Rafael Nadal at the 2014 Madrid Open. The 35-year-old has struggled with a slew of injuries over the last few years. That said, the former World No. 4 is out for redemption at Caja Magica this fortnight. He showed impressive grit in the first round of the tournament, defeating Australia's Aleksandar Vukic 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 in two hours.
Denis Shapovalov vs Kei Nishikori head-to-head
Nishikori leads Shapovalov by a margin of 2-1 in their head-to-head meetings on the ATP Tour. The Japanese won their most recent encounter at the 2025 Hong Kong Open. For what it's worth, the two players have never met on a surface outside hardcourts in their overlapping careers, meaning their second-round clash in Madrid will mark the first time they face off on clay.
Denis Shapovalov vs Kei Nishikori odds
(Odds will be updated once available)
Denis Shapovalov vs Kei Nishikori prediction
While Shapovalov's physical conditioning is questionable at the moment, the fact that the former World No. 10's game suits the high-altitude, low-bouncing conditions in Madrid is undeniable. The Canadian has equally explosive groundstrokes from both wings that are likely to overpower his older opponent in their encounter later this week.
Provided the 29th seed can maintain consistency on his groundstrokes and play with good rally tolerance, he should win this match with relative ease considering Nishikori has faced trouble in completing long matches recently.
Pick: Shapovalov to win in straight sets.
