Denis Shapovalov's Texas Two-Step: First, win the Dallas Open. Then, eat and (hopefully) dance

Do layovers count as visiting a place, or not?

Denis Shapovalov’s lone recollection of touching down in Texas before this week came via connecting flight at the state’s two largest airport hubs, DFW (Dallas) and IAH (Houston).

While he’s in an unfamiliar land known for its boots and barbecue, the Canadian quickly found a slice of home Monday night: a hockey arena. There, Shapovalov caught up with Tyler Seguin of the Dallas Stars. The center grew up in Brampton, Ontario, about 30 to 40 minutes from where Shapovalov’s family settled in another Toronto suburb, Vaughan.

“First of all, it was great to see him again. We've known each other for maybe about four or five years,” Shapovalov told TENNIS.com via phone Tuesday, adding that the two traded stories about life on the road. “And the Toronto guys came out, so I got a chance to meet all of them. It’s a special bond when you're from Toronto, so to share that with the boys was pretty cool.”

The connection was felt by both sides. Call Shapovalov Seguin’s good luck charm for the night, as the 32-year-old won the game for Dallas by scoring the decisive shootout goal.

“That was like a fifth-set tiebreak,” chimed in the world No. 27.

Shapovalov is officially in town for the Dallas Open, an ATP 250 event. It’s a slight change of pace for the left-hander, whose past February swings have often included a slate of European indoor stops ahead of the ATP 500 in Dubai. But he accepted a wild card into the second-year event after getting in some work stateside, a period that followed a tough ending at the Australian Open when he was edged out by Hubert Hurkacz over five sets.

“I just kind of felt like it was nice to go back to Florida to train. Obviously my coach lives there, my fitness trainer is there, so it made more sense to play in the States this year,” he says.

“I had a good result in Delray Beach the year that I played (2018 semifinalist for reference). So I wanted to try my best to do this swing and Dallas fits into it. Very happy that I was able to get the wild card here and hopefully I can make the most out of it.”

For the 172 tour-level victories Shapovalov has to date, he has one title to show for them—2019 Stockholm. That triumph occurred indoors, a playing environment Shapovalov favors after growing up on it. He makes the most of knowing what to expect and not having to concern himself with outside factors like rain delays and sharp sunlight. After practicing at Styslinger/Altec Tennis Complex on the campus of Southern Methodist University, the conditions took Shapovalov back to a place of past success.

“The venue kind of reminds me of a challenger that I played in Drummondville that I won. Good memories and I love that tournament. I thought it was one of the best tournaments back in Canada,” he reflects. “So definitely good feelings coming into here. I think the courts are playing pretty quick actually. The ball is getting through the court, which is something that I like. It’s a new tournament for me, but it feels fairly familiar.”

As the No. 3 seed, Shapovalov received a bye into the second round. Even so, the 23-year-old isn’t allowing himself to dig into the temptation of local fare just yet. Keeping to lighter foods that his body can manage is the priority. When the time comes before his departure, he’ll reach out to Seguin or tour-mate John Isner for some more indulgent recommendations. But for now, Shapovalov’s intrigue lies elsewhere deep in the heart of Texas.

“My first priority is buying a cowboy hat, definitely want to own one of those,” he says.

“Sounds great. Then you can do line dancing. Barbora Krejcikova may have some tips.”

Wrapping with a laugh, he admits, “I gotta learn how to dance.”