Canada's Denis Shapovalov retires with ankle injury in NBO first round
Canadian tennis player Denis Shapovalov retired from his first-round match at the National Bank Open due to a worsening ankle injury. The athlete cited a combination of physical fatigue and overcompensation for the injury as the primary reasons for his withdrawal.
Why it matters
The retirement highlights the physical toll of professional sports schedules and the impact of injury management on high-profile tournament participation.
Denis Shapovalov warned Monday his body was taking a beating.
Some 24 hours later, the Canadian couldn’t finish his opening match at the National Bank Open presented by Rogers.
Shapovalov was forced to retire with an ankle injury while trailing American Zachary Svajda 3-0 in the third set of his first-round match Tuesday afternoon.
“It's a very special tournament for me so I wanted to go out there and give it my best effort,” said the 27-year-old from Richmond Hill, Ont., almost two hours after withdrawing. “The body just got worse and the body kept telling me no.”
Shapovalov appeared in control early, taking the opening set 6-4 with an ace on set point, displaying the attacking flair that once endeared him to the Montreal crowd. But the injury reached a breaking point while serving late in the second set, which he lost 6-4.
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