Denis Shapovalov turned his opening match at the Chengdu ATP 250 into a career milestone on Thursday, September 24, 2026. The Canadian defeated the Netherlands' Tallon Griekspoor 6-4, 7-6(3) to record his 250th tour-level victory and advance to the second round in China.
The ATP confirmed that he is the third Canadian man to reach the mark, following Milos Raonic and Felix Auger-Aliassime. At 27, the seventh seed adds another landmark to a career that already includes four tour-level titles.
Two set points before the celebration
The straight-sets score did not tell the full story of the danger Shapovalov faced. Serving at 5-6 in the second set, he had to save two set points. Holding his serve took the match into a tie-break and prevented Griekspoor from drawing level.
A brief run then settled the contest: from 2-2, the Canadian moved to 6-2 in the tie-break before closing it out 7-3. The match lasted one hour and 31 minutes, according to the tournament media release carried by Tennis TourTalk.
The match statistics also highlight the value of taking opportunities. Shapovalov converted two of his three break points and finished with 11 aces. Griekspoor broke once from four chances.
Kopriva awaits in the second round
Shapovalov next faces Czech player Vit Kopriva. A former Chengdu semifinalist and a finalist in Los Cabos earlier this season, the Canadian now has to build on the victory that launched his week.
Protecting the second set was the decisive step in his opener: it allowed him to celebrate the milestone without having to settle the match in a third. The official ATP Tour video features highlights from this 2026 encounter.
