"He killed me on the court so I think he's feeling pretty good" - Denis Shapovalov on Rafael Nadal's intensity during practice

World No. 14 Denis Shapovalov has admitted that he felt Rafael Nadal "killed him" during one of their practice sessions at the Mubadala Tennis Championships. The Canadian pointed out that Nadal looks "pretty good" on the court and highlighted that the Spaniard has got among the "best hands at the net."

Shapovalov hit with Rafael Nadal before the Spaniard's semi-final clash against Andy Murray at the Mubadala Tennis Championships. Nadal was preparing for his first match since returning from a foot injury he sustained at the Citi Open in August.

Speaking to the media, Shapovalov said Nadal was phenomenal on the court and did not look rusty on his return to action.

“He killed me on the court yesterday so I think he’s feeling pretty good. It’s incredible to be out on the court with him. Every time I’m hitting against him, I’m just like, ‘Damn, this guy’s good’," said Shapovalov.

Shapovalov revealed that Nadal was in such great form that he struggled to hit past the Spaniard.

“I mean I hit a passing shot yesterday and he just hit a drop volley off of it like it was nothing and I’m like, ‘I wish I could do that’," added the Canadian.

Denis Shapovalov says it's "inspiring" to practice with players like Rafael Nadal

During the conversation, Denis Shapovalov shed more light on his experience of practicing with the Spaniard. The Canadian said he found it really "inspiring" to hit with a player of Nadal's calibre.

“You really see how great they are when you practice with them. The guy hits the ball so big, he’s so good, he’s got some of the best hands I’ve seen at the net, for me it’s inspiring to practice with guys like this, for my sake to see how I can be better, or how I can improve my game so I can hopefully one day be at their level or be somewhat as good as they are," said Shapovalov.

Denis Shapovalov was beaten by Andrey Rublev in the semi-finals of the Mubadala Tennis Championships, while Rafael Nadal lost to Andy Murray.

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About the author

Anshul Singh is a Tennis author at Sportskeeda, currently pursuing Journalism Honors from Delhi University. Having significant experience with content, Anshul loves to cover tennis, football, and cricket. He has previously worked as a tennis writer for Essentiallysports and even as an editor for DU Express, penning riveting articles on sports, politics, and culture. Being an ardent follower of the Swiss maestro Roger Federer and Cristiano Ronaldo, Anshul is willing to pay anything to watch them play. Other than sports, Anshul is an ardent debater and has also chaired several Model United Nations across the country.

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Edited by Arvind Sriram