Opinion | Canadian Denis Shapovalov makes some noise in French ...

Denis Shapovalov’s ears told him all he needed to know. And where he wants to be again.

As the young Canadian left-hander was toiling on a decidedly unglamorous side court at the French Open before several hundred fans on Wednesday, against Matteo Arnaldi, he could hear the roars of the marquee show courts at Roland Garros. In particular, there was a much larger crowd at nearby Court Philippe-Chatrier watching world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, who most tennis experts view as the next great player as the golden era of men’s tennis that featured Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic comes to a close.

Shapovalov, meanwhile, was playing on Court 12, with only a narrow walkway separating his match from a women’s match. On those types of courts at major tournaments, the distractions are many and the exposure is limited. Players hope to improve their rankings so they can play in bigger arenas most of the time.

But you’ve got to earn your way there.

Being on a side court was evidence of how far Shapovalov’s world ranking has fallen, and the fact he’s no longer viewed as a burgeoning superstar quite the same way he was a few years ago. Major struggles in 2023, including missing two tournaments with knee woes, have hampered his efforts to return to the top 10, which he last inhabited almost two years ago.

On Wednesday, Court 12 seemed to agree with him. In a steady, mature performance against the 122nd-ranked Arnaldi, the 24-year-old Shapovalov efficiently navigated his way to a 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 triumph that required less than three hours to complete. Shapovalov served well, avoiding the avalanche of double faults that have accompanied far too many of his matches, and looked calm and in control.

He advanced to the third round of the French Open for the first time, and will take on Alcaraz (also for the first time) on one of those coveted show courts. It’s an opportunity for Shapovalov, seeded 26th, to convince tennis observers he still has the potential to win a Grand Slam singles title.

“Obviously (Alcaraz is) a great player everywhere, but especially on clay courts,” Shapovalov said after the win. “Three out of five (sets) against him is not going to be easy, but I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

Given that he went to Paris with conservative hopes because of his knee problems, it would be a big accomplishment if he can given Alcaraz a stern test. This match will be less about Shapovalov’s ability and more about his match fitness against the best player on the planet.

“For me, this week is, I mean, more than anything it’s to see how my knee is, to test it out and to try to play pain-free,” Shapovalov said after winning a tough five-setter in the first round on Monday. “Everything else is a bonus.”

Alcaraz — who won the U.S. Open last year, his first Grand Slam title — was just 19 when he became the youngest player to rise to No. 1. He spoke respectfully of Shapovalov after a straightforward win over Taro Daniel on Wednesday.

“Everyone knows the level of Denis Shapovalov,” Alcaraz said. “He’s a really dangerous player.”

This is also a test run for the Canadian’s new working relationship with American coach Matt Daly, which only began about two weeks ago. That apparently also marked the conclusion of Shapovalov’s time with long-time Canadian Davis Cup player Peter Polansky, after they worked together for most of last season.

Shapovalov is the last Canadian left in the men’s draw after the surprise ouster of Félix Auger-Aliassime earlier in the week. Bianca Andreescu, meanwhile, is the last Canadian female player remaining after Leylah Fernandez was eliminated in three sets by former junior rival Clara Tauson.

Fernandez, like Shapovalov, has had a lamentable start to 2023, and like Shapovalov has been dealing with injuries. A stress fracture in her foot at last year’s French Open ruined a big chunk of her season. This year, her results have been poor, so much so that she recently entered a lower-rung tournament in Spain just to get some matches under her belt and generate some momentum.

It looked like it was paying dividends for the 20-year-old when she won her first match this week, and again on Wednesday when she shrugged off losing the first set to win the second. But she dropped the third and went down 6-3, 5-7, 6-4.

Fernandez, a 2021 U.S. Open finalist, has fallen to No. 49 in the world after being as high as No. 13 last year. That said, the unique challenges of playing on red clay rarely make it a convenient setting to regain lost confidence.

Both Fernandez and Shapovalov have three months to find the ingredients that not so long ago made both the talk of the tennis world. The nature of the sport, however, is that there’s already another wave of talent coming, and staying ahead of that wave is a massive challenge.

Shapovalov still has a chance to make his visit to Paris special. He’s got the weapons to challenge Alcaraz, but his health is questionable and too often in the past his mercurial personality has undermined his chances at big events.

We’ll see if being a decided underdog works to his advantage on Friday.