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Denis Shapovalov in action in Los Cabos on Tuesday.
By ATP Staff
Denis Shapovalov earned just his second win since mid-April on Tuesday at the Mifel Tennis Open by Telcel Oppo, where he battled past Australian Rinky Hijikata 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 to make a winning start to his title defence at the ATP 250 event.
The eighth-seeded Canadian did not drop a set en route to the crown last year and played with renewed confidence and aggression after levelling at one-set-all against Hijikata to improve to 5-0 at the hard-court tournament.
When reflecting on his win, Shapovalov first gave a shout-out to his wife Mirjam Bjorklund, who is celebrating her birthday on Wednesday. Shapovalov tied the knot with Mirjam in 2025.
"Before I get into the match, I want to say happy birthday to my wife, because it is past midnight in Miami, so happy birthday Mirjam. I am wishing you all the best," Shapovalov said at the start of his on-court interview.
Shapovalov, who had won just one of his eight previous matches prior to Tuesday, now leads Hijikata 2-0 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series. The 27-year-old will next play Mexican wild card Rodrigo Pacheco Mendez.
"I have not played any matches since Wimbledon, so you go into the match a little rusty, having a little trouble finding rhythm on my serve and forehand, which are my two best shots. That is what happened in the first set when I could not find them," Shapovalov continued. "Luckily, I was able to fight and play much better in the second and third sets and get the win."
The 21-year-old Pacheco Mendez downed Sho Shimabukuro 6-7(4), 7-5, 6-2 to record just his second ATP Tour win and first in Los Cabos on his fifth appearance at the event.
The lefty was twice just two points from defeat at 4-5 in the second set but hung tough to survive. With a roaring crowd willing him on, the No. 320 player in the PIF ATP Rankings found an array of winners to level and then raced clear in the third set.
Pacheco Mendez is the fourth Mexican to earn a win in Los Cabos, joining Alex Hernandez (2022, 2025), Ernesto Escobedo (2021) and Luis Carlos Alvarez (2025). Pacheco Mendez’s only previous ATP Tour win came in Acapulco in 2025 against Aleksandar Vukic.
Watch Pacheco Mendez defeat Shimabukuro:
Edward Winter spoiled Moise Kouame's hopes of a deep run in Los Cabos, defeating the 17-year-old 6-1, 6-4 to claim a milestone win of his own.
The 21-year-old Winter, who is the No. 391 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, is making the best use of a lucky loser spot in Los Cabos, having earned his first ATP Tour main-draw match victory. The Adelaide native saved all six break points he faced against Kouame, according to Infosys ATP Stats.
Into the second round of the ATP 250 event, Winter awaits Jenson Brooksby, who beat Corentin Moutet 6-4, 6-4.
Kouame is sixth in the PIF ATP Live Next Gen Race. Aiming to qualify for the Next Gen ATP Finals for the first time, the Frenchman earlier this year reached the third round of his home major, Roland Garros.
Michael Zheng moved past seventh seed Martin Landaluce 6-4, 6-3 to earn his fourth tour-level win. The American will play Arthur Gea in the second round after the Frenchman defeated Soonwoo Kwon 6-4, 6-7(8), 6-2.
Watch Zheng defeat Landaluce:
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