"Not fair": Shapovalov upset with disqualification for rift with fan
Ahead of his appearance at the National Bank Open in Montreal this week, Denis Shapovalov has found himself at the centre of controversy.
Over the weekend, the Canadian tennis star was facing American Ben Shelton in the quarterfinal at the Citi Open in Washington, DC, when he found himself jawing back-and-forth with a fan sitting in the front rows of the crowd.
Shapovalov had some choice words for the spectator during a second set tiebreak, which caught the attention of the umpire to award the match in Shelton’s favour.
Tennis is broken.
Denis Shapovalov has a few words with a fan who is chirping him and gets DEFAULTED. Match over.
This umpire has to be held accountable asap. pic.twitter.com/acZ7S0Ff8Q
— J.P. Hovey (@jhovey34) August 3, 2024
Shapovalov appealed the decision, with the ATP holding it up while still fining him $36,400. However, in a statement posted Monday, the organization decided that Shapovalov would retain quarter-final points and prize money.
Shapovalov responded with a statement of his own on Tuesday morning.
“Dear fans, I would like to thank you for standing by my side through these last few days. As you can imagine it’s been an extremely stressful time for me. I continue to feel shocked and disappointed over the decision to disqualify me from my match against Ben in Washington. It was not fair to me, him or anyone that was there to watch the match,” Shapovalov posted on X on Tuesday.
“I of course immediately submitted my appeal to the ATP and I am pleased and thankful with the quick decision to reinstate my points and prize money. I must state, however, that I do not agree with the hefty fine I was given, which is more than half the prize money I earned last week, and will continue to fight that.”
Shapovalov is currently ranked 106 in the world.
“We all work extremely hard — our tennis careers are our lives and should not be derailed by unnecessary, subjective ruling. I also hope the ATP can put better rules in place for protecting players from abusive fans. I’d also like to take this time to thank the players that have openly stood up for me in the press and on social media,” Shapovalov added.
“As difficult as these few days have been, I am excited to be back in Montreal in front of Canadian fans. I hope that I can continue building off my good week in Washington on home soil.”
Shapovalov takes the court today for his opening round of doubles alongside Canadian Vasek Pospisil, taking on Italian duo Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori.