BELGRADE, Serbia – Canadian Denis Shapovalov is back in the winner’s circle.

Shapovalov, 25, beat Serbian Hamad Medjedovic 6-4, 6-4 in the final of the Belgrade Open on Saturday. It is Shapovalov’s second ATP Tour title after winning the Stockholm Open in 2019.

He is the first Canadian to win an ATP Tour title this season.

His last appearance in a tournament final was in Vienna in 2022.

Shapovalov missed the second half of last season due to injury and spent most of this year regaining his best level of play. He made it through qualifying in Belgrade and lost just one set on his way to the trophy.

“It’s been a good season for me, I’ve just been healthy and back on the court,” Shapovalov said. “It takes time to climb back up the rankings. A week like this will help a lot.”

He is expected to rise 22 spots in the men’s tennis rankings to No. 56, his highest position since No. 45 in October 2023.

Shapovalov’s best results this season came at ATP 500 events in Washington and Basel, where he reached the quarterfinals.

Medjedovic was playing in his first ATP Tour final.

The 21-year-old, who won the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF last year, ends 2024 with a 9-8 tour-level record on the season.

“It’s not easy to play against young people,” Shapovalov said. “He served well and I was trying to do my best to get into his games and I got a little lucky in the first set to break him.

“I had a couple of lucky returns and kept that momentum going at the start of the second.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2024.