WATCH: Denis Shapovalov kisses girlfriend Mirjam Bjorklund after her maiden WTA-1000 win in Miami
Denis Shapovalov was seen embracing his girlfriend, Mirjam Bjorklund, after her first-ever WTA 1000 win at the Miami Open 2023.
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Denis Shapovalov and Mirjam Bjorklund (Credits: Twitter)
Denis Shapovalov watched from Court 1 as his girlfriend, Mirjam Bjorklund, achieved her first victory at a WTA 1000 event during the 2023 Miami Open. It was her inaugural appearance in the main draw of a WTA 1000 tournament, and Shapovalov hugged her after her triumph.
Mirjam Bjorklund, who is currently ranked World No.149 and turned professional in 2017, participated in the ongoing Miami Open as a qualifier. She won against Ysaline Bonaventure and Tamara Zidansek to make it to the main draw, where she faced Jasmine Paolini, the World No. 71, in the round of 128.
Mirjam Bjorklund achieved a remarkable win by overcoming Jasmine Paolini 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in two hours and twenty-two minutes during the 2023 Miami Open round of 128. The 24-year-old had to rally back after losing the first set. However, her win came at a cost as she faces a challenging second-round match against 2017 French Open champion, Jelena Ostapenko.
Denis Shapovalov and Mirjam Bjorklund began their relationship in June 2019 when she was ranked 268 in the world. Shapovalov posted a video on social media celebrating her first significant victory in the Miami Open and match point.
Venus Williams expresses her gratitude to Denis Shapovalov
Denis Shapovalov received appreciation from Venus Williams for advocating for equal pay for male and female tennis players. In an article for the Players’ Tribune published on International Women’s Day, Shapovalov highlighted the issue of pay disparity affecting female players in the sport.
The 23-year-old tennis player revealed that he became aware of the gender pay gap in tennis through his girlfriend, fellow tennis player Mirjam Björklund. Shapovalov went on to detail the various expenses that tennis players have to bear. He stated “I’m not sure everyone realizes how damaging this is for tennis. Tomorrow is International Women’s Day, and I want to talk about the gender gap. It’s so unfair. It doesn’t make sense at all. And it matters, because the expenses are crazy in tennis: You travel all year, you stay in hotels, you pay your coaching staff.“
Shapovalov wrote in his article that while the top players may not be affected by the pay gap, many others on the tour are facing financial difficulties and struggling to make ends meet. He explained that for these players, prize money is not just a bonus, but a necessity for survival. Williams expressed her gratitude towards Shapovalov for his article on the gender pay gap in tennis on social media.
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