Back-to-back bid denied as Shapovalov is bounced in Los Cabos Open final

CABO SAN LUCAS — Denis Shapovalov’s goal of winning back-to-back singles titles at the Los Cabos Open came up a match short.

Arthur Gea, a 21-year-old tennis talent from France, bounced the Richmond Hill, Ont., athlete 6-3, 6-4 in Saturday’s final of the ATP 250 hard-court tournament. The match took 90 minutes to play.

It was Shapovalov’s first loss in nine matches at the Cabo Sports Complex in Mexico.

Shapovalov, who played in Friday’s later semifinal — a three-set battle against fifth-seeded Cameron Norrie that took two hours, 40 minutes — wasn’t as sharp in the final. He had 37 unforced errors, nine double faults and only two aces. He had 13 winners, while Gea had 12.

Gea, the third-youngest finalist in tournament history, won nine service games while Shapovalov recorded six. Gea won three of nine return games, while Shapovalov only won one of nine.

The Canadian defeated American Aleksandar Kovacevic 6-4, 6-2 in last year’s final.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 1, 2026.

The Canadian Press