After a somewhat bumpy start to the clay court season, Denis Shapovalov had recently shown his much better side again in Rome and Geneva: In the Italian capital, the Canadian even found two match points against eventual winner Rafael Nadal in the round of 16, a week later he moved in the second largest city in Switzerland even in the final, in which he was defeated by Casper Ruud in two contested sets.

So everything seemed set up for a successful French Open, but bad news followed on Sunday evening: Shapovalov will not play at the Bois de Boulogne in 2021. As the 22-year-old announced, shoulder problems are the reason for the cancellation.

"I am saddened that, after consulting my medical team, I made the difficult decision to withdraw from Roland Garros. Unfortunately, my shoulder is problematic and although the medical tests look good, it is best to take a break," wrote Shapovalov on Twitter.

The world number 14. is according to the current status thus the highest placed player who cannot start in Paris. With Stan Wawrinka , Borna Coric, Nick Kyrgios and Andy Murray, other prominent names are also missing in the French capital.