"Sleeping in an apartment with nothing just mattresses" - Denis Shapovalov throws light on his humble beginnings and parents' sacrifices

Denis Shapovalov recently spoke about his humble beginnings,talking about the sacrifices his parents made. The 25-year-old said that when his family moved to Canada, they slept in an apartment that just had mattresses.

Shapovalov's journey into tennis began after he started attending coaching sessions with his mother at the Richmond Hill Country Club. Currently, the proud owner of a tennis club in Canada, Tessa Shapovalov had to endure countless struggles to turn things upside down for her son.

In a recent episode of The Slice Tennis Podcast, Denis Shapovalov made emotional revelations about his early life. The conversation began after host J.P. Hovey unearthed a video that his mother shared while he was just 7-8 years old. Opening up on the particular incident and the memories, Shapovalov explained how things were hard for his parents in the beginning.

"We're in such a fast-paced life so we don't look back towards them. But when we do, it's definitely a special feeling," the Canadian said.

Among the toughest hurdles that his parents had to face, the 25-year-old highlighted how moving to different locations for work and opportunities made his parents see some of the toughest days.

"You know my Parents came from Israel, they grew up in Ukraine, when I was breaking down, they moved to Israel, moved to Canada and they basically came with no money. You know, we were sleeping in an apartment with nothing just mattresses for months. You know my parents trying to find jobs. My mom was trying to apply for different coaching positions. Didn't speak a word of English so it was a big struggle for them to get on their feet and they moved like, they didn't have friends, didn't have anything there," he added.

Denis Shapovalov produced some impressive performances during the late 2010s and 2020, notably reaching the Top 10 of the ATP rankings. While the Canadian's performances suffered a dip in the past few years, he did produce some promising performances in 2024.

Shapovalov ended his season by winning the Serbia Open in Belgrade while also reaching the quarterfinals of the Swiss Indoors in Basel.

Denis Shapovalov battles through illness ahead of the Australian Open 2025

Denis Shapovalov at the Davis Cup Finals (Image Source: Getty)

Shapovalov started his 2025 season at the Hong Kong Open, where he suffered a 2-6, 3-6 loss to Kei Nishikori. The Canadian stated after his defeat that he was diagnosed with a viral illness.

"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," he shared in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

There has been no follow-up from Denis Shapovalov after the health update emerged. As the first major event of the 2025 season nears, it still remains to be seen what fate holds for the Canadian star.