Simply put, this is the biggest match of Denis Shapovalov's career.
Having already set a new standard for himself in terms of advancement in a Grand Slam event, Shapovalov now faces the daunting task of trying to take down one of the greatest of all time in order to earn a spot in the Wimbledon final.
The 22-year-old Canadian squares off with World No. 1 Novak Djokovic on Friday in the Wimbledon semifinals. It's a David vs. Goliath matchup that has the potential to captivate the tennis world.
Not that Shapovalov is any kind of pushover — he entered Wimbledon ranked 12th in the world and is seen as one of the best up-and-coming stars in the game.
But Djokovic is a different type of challenge altogether. At 34-years-old, the Serbian superstar shows no signs of slowing down, and has a wealth of experience upon which to draw against his young opponent. Djokovic is a perennial contender at the All-England Club, having captured five Wimbledon titles (all within the last decade). He's got 19 Grand Slam titles to his name, including a 2021 victory at the Australian Open.
In other words, Djokovic is the toughest opponent Shapovalov could have possibly drawn for this match.
Head-to-head, Shapovalov has lost all six of his previous matches to Djokovic. The most recent meeting between the men was in February at the ATP Cup, with Djokovic winning in straight sets (7-5, 7-5). The other five meetings came in January 2020 or earlier, and Shapovalov has shown tremendous growth in his overall game in the time since.
Will it be enough to topple the world's best? The affable Canadian isn't counting himself out.
"When you walk out on that match, the score is 0-0," Shapovalov said Wednesday, just after defeating Karen Khachanov in the quarterfinals. "It’s a tennis match. Anything can happen. I do believe I have the game to beat him and the game to win that match."
Shapovalov vs. Djokovic: Date, time and how to watch in Canada
Date: Friday, July 9
Time: 10:30 a.m. ET
TV channel: TSN 3/4
The match will start no earlier than 10:30 a.m. ET at Centre Court.