Denis Shapovalov says he remains shocked by the decision to default him during his Citi Open quarter-final clash with Ben Shelton. The Canadian tennis player has successfully protested the decision to withdraw his ranking points and prize money but says he will continue to fight a £28,000 fine.
A furious Shapovalov reacted to three consecutive unforced errors by slamming his racket to the ground, before palming and kicking it in anger. He then took aim at a member of the crowd with a reported expletive, before complaining to the umpire that he was allowed to “tell off” the attendee.
The 25-year-old was initially handed a code violation but he was subsequently defaulted by the supervisor, who had been called on court. Although he was told his ranking points and prize money would be withdrawn, that punishment has since been downgraded to just a £28k fine.
Shapovalov remains unhappy, though, and has pledged to protest against the new punishment.
“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,” Shapovalov wrote on X.
“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.
“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.
“We will 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. As difficult as these last few days have been, I am excited to be back in Montreal in front of the Canadian fans. I hope I can continue building off my good week in Washington on home soil.”
Shapovalov has been defended by some of his colleagues on the ATP tour. However, Ben Shelton had little to say, commenting: “No, I mean, it is what it is. I think it was a tough situation all around. I don’t really have any other comments on that situation.”
Content Source: www.express.co.uk