Denis Shapovalov the "best" in his girlfriend Mirjam Bjorklund's eyes despite hard-fought loss in French Open 3R

Denis Shapovalov's girlfriend Mirjam Bjorklund extended words of encouragement to the former after his third-round loss against Carlos Alcaraz at the 2023 French Open.

26th seed Shapovalov, a former Wimbledon semifinalist, suffered a crushing 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 defeat to the World No. 1 on Friday, June 2.

The 20-year-old Spaniard broke Shapovalov’s serve seven times and hit 35 winners, with only 16 unforced errors. The Canadian, who had reached the third round at Roland Garros for the first time in his career, could not match Alcaraz’s intensity and consistency.

Bjorklund shared a story on Instagram shortly after the match ended. It featured a photograph of the 24-year-old ATP star during the match.

“Always the best in my eyes”, Bjorklund wrote.

Mirjam Bjorklund on Instagram

Bjorklund is a professional tennis player from Sweden and has been dating Shapovalov since June 2019. She was seen cheering for the 32nd-ranked player as he won his first ATP title at the Stockholm Open in October 2019.

Shapovalov is expected to return to the Tour at the Wimbledon Championships in July. He will be looking to build on his recent success and make a deep run in the tournament.

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"I really trust him when he tells me things and when he coaches me" - Mirjam Bjorklund on Denis Shapovalov

Denis Shapovalov and Mirjam Bjorklund pictured

Denis Shapovalov and Mirjam Bjorklund have often shown their mutual support from the stands. They shared their feelings about their relationship and their tennis careers in an interview in March.

Bjorklund said that she was grateful for Shapovalov’s presence and advice whenever he could watch her matches. She trusted his insights as he understood her game and tennis very well. She also clarified that he was not her coach, but her boyfriend who was there to encourage her.

“Denis is not always able to be with me when I play events, so it’s wonderful to have him back me up in the box and I think he has a great sense of my game and of tennis in general, so I really rely on him when he gives me feedback and guidance, but he’s very clear that he’s not my coach,” Bjorklund said.

“He’s just my boyfriend and cheering [me] on in those moments, but I do really value that and I know that I can believe what he’s saying, so it’s very comforting when I have him there,” she added.

World No. 160 also disclosed how they always support each other and have fun together, even when things are not going well on the court.

“We always find a way to support each other and enjoy ourselves and that can definitely help if things are not going the way you want on the court,” she said.

Bjorklund failed to reach the main draw of the 2023 French Open as she lost her third qualifier.