Denis Shapovalov endured an unfortunate situation at the 2024 Citi Open in Washington, where he was defaulted, and he finally addressed the situation.
The Canadian likes to portray himself as a very respectable player in victory and defeat, and for the most part, he is. He's not known for too many controversies, even though, like most tennis players, he's had some moments in the past that were quite strange.
The most recent of those moments came at the Citi Open in Washington recently, where the Canadian was defaulted from the match. He clashed with a spectator, and the umpire ultimately concluded that the right decision was to default the player.
He couldn't believe it, and a few fellow ATP players openly defended him on social media. The ATP ultimately returned the part of the prize money and points he won, believing that to be too harsh, but they still asserted that the default was the correct decision.
Through all of that, Shapovalov remained silent, but now that he's back home in Canada, the Canadian took some time to share his side of the story and to thank people for supporting him. He posted a lengthy statement on social media about the situation, addressing everything that had happened in the past days.
"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."
"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 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."
It's clear that Shapovalov feels wronged by the decision. We can argue whether the default was too harsh for punishment because the tennis rules are not always enforced the same way.
It comes down to how the umpire applies them, which can differ. He was glad to see people and fellow players back him, which meant a lot to him. He's also excited to be back in Canada, hoping to put all of this behind him.
"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 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."