Shapovalov and Auger-Aliassime looking to use Davis Cup as a springboard for next season
The two Canadians focused on their individual games to work towards team victory.
Having secured Canada's first Davis Cup victory, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov are looking to use it as a springboard for next season.
The Canadian team led by Auger-Aliassime, Shapovalov and Vasek Pospisil won against Australia in the final/
Shapovalov lifted his game coming into the competition, reaching finals in ATP events in Seoul, South Korea and Vienna, Austria to hit No.18 in the rankings.
“I have made a lot of progress this year, especially since like Cincinnati, US Open," said Shapovalov. "Everything has been clicking for me, and I have been able to consistently play better."
The team victory could help further.
"It's a good sign going into the next year, for sure," he said. "I think there is a lot of things where I can work to become more consistent. That's the big goal. Everyone knows I can play a big game, but to be a top player you need to have that consistency. I obviously want to keep that going."
Shapovalov has been working with Peter Polansky as his coach, along with some appearances by Mikhail Youzhny, and doesn't plan more changes to his team at the moment.
"I don't think adding someone is going to benefit so much at this point. I need to work on my things, work on becoming more consistent, and implementing the level I have been able to bring for the last, let's say, two months," he said.
Auger-Aliassime did even better during the Asian and indoor events, winning Florence, Antwerp and Basel, reaching No. 6 and qualifying for the ATP Finals.
It was seven years ago that Auger-Aliassime and Shapovalov won the Junior Davis Cup, and he's hoping their win will have inspired other young Canadian players.
“We were kids. It was like a dream also,” Auger-Aliassime said, recalling the juniors victory. “I remember like we were, ‘We won it.’ Felt like it was the real one. But I remember us thinking, we are 15, 16, and we just won Junior Davis Cup, projecting ourselves winning this one day.
"It's cool to be in this position now, and it's kind of full circle. Won a lot of clutch matches. Then to have all the rest of young guys coming up and playing well. It's a special team."