Denis Shapovalov lauds Justin Bieber's mission of making ice hockey accessible and affordable
Denis Shapovalov has been highly impressed by fellow Canadian Justin Bieber’s efforts in making the otherwise expensive sport of ice hockey more accessible to everyone.
Justin Bieber recently announced his partnership with restaurant chain Tim Hortons and NHL team Toronto Maple Leafs to promote Canada’s national winter sport, Ice Hockey. The global music icon emphasized the beauty of the sport by reminiscing about his ice hockey-related childhood memories.
“Having these games to look forward to as a kid made for memories that I will cherish forever! I want people to know how fun it is and how it deeply connects families,” Justin Bieber wrote in his Instagram post.
“It’s a game that can teach us about teamwork, chemistry, coordination, style, managing disappointment, growth etc,” he said, adding, “Our leafs lost last night but still made for beautiful memories with my beautiful family.”
The singer also touched upon financial issues related to ice hockey.
“Unfortunately hockey can be an expensive sport which is why we partnered up with Tim Hortons and the Toronto maple leafs to help in this area. We want people all over the world to have access to the game!” he added.
This initiative by Bieber struck a chord with Canadian tennis player Denis Shapovalov - an ardent NHL fan who is also acquainted with teamwork, having led the Canadian tennis team to victory at the 2022 ATP Cup as well as the Davis Cup.
“This is awesome,” Shapovalov wrote on his Instagram story.
"I think it's from my upbringing" – Denis Shapovalov on prioritizing right manners over being the best athlete in the world
Denis Shapovalov staged some noteworthy appearances during the tail end of the 2022 season, with runner-up finishes at the Korea Open and the Vienna Open. The 23-year-old, however, hasn’t been able to make a similar impact on the tennis courts thus far in 2023 and has registered just six wins in 13 matches.
The former World No. 10’s latest loss came against Taylor Fritz in the Round of 32 of the Miami Open.
After his exit, Denis Shapovalov stated that he was raised to understand that, regardless of sporting results, a person’s manners are what matters the most.
"It’s always about manners. It doesn’t really matter if you’re the best player in the world, the worst player in the world. I always try to treat people like I’d want to be treated. I think it’s from my upbringing as well,” he said.
Shapovalov, who has had his fair share of emotional outbursts on tennis courts, noted that he has trained himself to leave his sports-related frustrations on the court itself and not allow them to seep into his personal life.
“Obviously I want to be better and sometimes I’m frustrated on the court. But I think I do a good job of just not carrying it over because we’re very lucky. I’m living a good life,” he added.
Shapovalov is now expected to kick off his clay court campaign with the Monte-Carlo Masters between April 9-16.