Denis Shapovalov shares concerning update days ahead of Australian Open 2025

The 2025 season has kicked off, and the Australian Open is just around the corner. Ahead of the Melbourne Major, however, a concerning update has surfaced regarding Canadian tennis player Denis Shapovalov.

Shapovalov's most recent appearance was at the 2025 Bank of China Hong Kong Tennis Open. However, the 25-year-old had a brief campaign, losing 6-2, 6-3 to Japan's Kei Nishikori in the opening round.

Following his exit from the ATP 250 event, the Canadian shared a concerning update. He revealed on X (formerly Twitter) that he has been battling a virus, which affected his performance against Nishikori in Hong Kong.

"Thanks for the warm welcome Hong Kong. It was great to start my season with the amazing fans here ❤️ Unfortunately I have been struggling with a virus & disappointed I couldn’t play at my fullest, but I did my best to be out there. I hope to come back to @Hkto_mens next year 🙏🏼🇭🇰

Here's a look at the post shared by Shapovalov:

Nishikori dispatched Shapovalov in straight sets in under an hour. The Japanese player fended off two break points on his serve, broke Shapovalov four times, and took full advantage of the Canadian's 25 unforced errors.

With the Australian Open approaching, it remains to be seen when the Canadian will recover and return to action.

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Denis Shapovalov won his last tour-level title at the Belgrade Open in November 2024

In Picture: Denis Shapovalov at Davis Cup Finals - Image Source: Getty

Denis Shapovalov recently claimed his first tour-level title in five years at the Belgrade Open in November. The 25-year-old had endured a challenging season, unable to secure a title until then.

His standout performances of the season before the tournament in Serbia were quarterfinal finishes at the Citi Open and the Swiss Indoors in Basel, where he was eventually defeated by Ben Shelton and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, respectively.

Shapovalov then shifted his focus to the ATP 250 event in Belgrade, where he had to go through the qualifying rounds to reach the main draw, defeating Frenchmen Constant Lestienne and Hugo Grenier along the way.

Later, the Canadian defeated Marton Fucsovics 7(6), 7-5, 6-1, followed by a 6-2, 6-4 win over Nuno Borges to reach the quarterfinals. He continued his impressive form with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Christopher O'Connell, before dominating fourth seed Jiri Lehecka 6-2, 6-1 to secure a spot in the final.

The World No. 56 then triumphed over home favorite Hamad Medjedovic 6-4, 6-4 to claim the title. This victory marked Shapovalov's first ATP title since winning the Stockholm Open in 2019. The triumph was also celebrated by his fiance Mirjam Bjorklund on Instagram.