Denis Shapovalov on wife’s support on and off the court: ‘I have her, it’s special’ | ATP Tour

Racquets and relationships

Shapovalov on his wife’s support on and off the court: ‘Having her is special to me’

Shapovalov reflects on the importance of his life partner in new series ‘Rackets and Relationships’

March 8, 2026

Denis Shapovalov will face world No. 2 Janik Sinner in the third round of the BNP Paribas Open on Sunday. Their previous two Lexus ATP head-to-head matches had been decided, with the Canadian heading out after a thrilling deciding-set tie-break in the second round against Tomas Martin Etcheverry.

Everyone will be watching Shapovalov’s high-flying game and attempt to disrupt the No. 2 seed who is pursuing his first Indian Wells title. No matter what happens in Indian Wells or in the coming weeks, Shapovalov’s wife and fellow rocker Mijam Shapovalova (née Bjorklund) will be there to support him.

“It’s very important because we are tennis players, but we are also human beings and we deal with a lot of things in life that have nothing to do with tennis,” Shapovalov said. “It’s important for anyone to have someone who can support you through hard times and help you out.”

Times have not always been easy in recent years for Shapovalov, a former Grand Slam semifinalist who has climbed to No. 10 in the PIF ATP Rankings. The southpaw, now ranked 39th in the world, has shown grit and determination to try and rediscover his best, and Shapovalova has been by his side every step of the way.

“I think she’s the person I talk to the most about everything, especially the hard stuff,” Shapovalov said. “I feel like I didn’t really let too many people know what I was dealing with at the time. I feel like she was one of the only people who helped me and went through everything with me.”

It helps that Shapovalova is an excellent tennis player in her own right. The Swede has reached a career-high No. 123 in the PIF WTA rankings and has entered three major main draws in 2022 and 2023. They don’t shy away from tennis talk.

“She helped me a lot. She’s a very smart player. She sees the game very clearly and understands me very well,” Shapovalov said. “So we definitely talk a lot about my game, what I should be doing, little adjustments I can make, and even she’s been helping me on the court since the Australian Open. She’s definitely had a big influence on that.”

Denis Shapovalov and Mirjam Bjorklund got married at Cape Lesante in Zakynthos, Greece. ” style=”width:100%;” src=”https://www.atptour.com/-/media/images/news/2025/09/19/21/20/shapovalov-wedding-photos.jpg?w=100%25″>
^{Photo: Karin Lundin @karinlundinstudio}
Not only was Shapovalova there to support her husband, but she also helped push him when needed on the court. “She’s very strong,” according to the Canadian.

“I wouldn’t say she has high demands, but she definitely wants a lot of practice and stuff like that. She wants me to try some things, which is nice,” Shapovalov said. “There aren’t a lot of people who are very demanding, so I kind of like that. I feel like we can really dissect things and break things down. It helps to have someone who’s really detail-oriented.”

Shapovalova suffered an injury that ended her career last year. What was important to Shapovalov was that their relationship was not one-sided support, but that he was also always there for his wife. This was true even when Shapovalova competed, and her now-husband watched from the sidelines whenever possible.

“I’ve always wanted to be around her. You can see how supportive she is of me, especially now that she’s stopped playing,” Shapovalov said. “I think a lot of her life revolves around me, so I definitely think it’s important to have an equal relationship and I love supporting her. I think it’s fun to have someone living the same life as me. I think we both do a good job of, I don’t want to say sacrificing, but putting effort into each other.”

Dennis and Mirjam started dating in 2019 and got married six months ago. Whether they win or lose on the court, they accompany each other and grow together.

“I definitely think it’s very special to have her,” Shapovalov said. “I think we do a good job in a lot of ways and talking in a good way that helps us grow as people. I know I’m not perfect, but she really helps me get better and try to improve myself every day.”

Rackets & Relationships is a new series on ATPTour.com where ATP Tour players discuss their life partners, their influence on and off the court, and more.