By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Tuesday March 16, 2021

Traveling the ATP Tour and playing out of bubble after bubble has been taking its toll on Denis Shapovalov. The Canadian, who defeated Jan-Lennard Struff 6-1, 6-3 on Tuesday in Dubai to reach the third round, says he is actually altering his playing schedule just to ensure that he doesn’t burn out.



He says he pulled out of Rotterdam in the first week of March just so he could avoid the stress of playing tennis in lockdown mode.

"I've been trying to stay out of the bubble as much as possible, after Australia I felt like it took a toll on me, so I went to Dubai actually just to practice and just kind of relax, pulled out of Rotterdam just because I didn't feel ready,” he told reporters during his post-match press conference, adding: “I am trying to play as few tournaments as possible, and sometimes new tournaments like this for sure help, because it is something new, it doesn't feel like a routine."

Shapovalov, who is making his Dubai debut this year, says that playing in a new event is another way that he can combat the doldrums during a time in which many players struggle with the loneliness and fatigue they face due to coronavirus restrictions, and the anxieties that come with travelling the globe during such a risky time to do so.

🐺 at work
📸: @DDFTennis pic.twitter.com/HS5QzXylwb

— Denis Shapovalov (@denis_shapo) March 16, 2021