Shapovalov claims 'someone pressed a button' after questionable call in Sinner epic
NewsMonday, 01 September 2025 at 18:00
Denis Shapovalov wasn't happy about one of the calls during his third-round match at the 2025 US Open, even suggesting someone wanted him to lose by manipulating a call.
Shapovalov played one of his best matches in recent months to push the ATP World No. 1 Sinner to four sets in their third-round meeting at the US Open. The Canadian player won the first set 7-5 and, despite losing the second set 4-6, he led 3-0 and 40-30 in the third set before ultimately losing the match 7-5, 4-6, 3-6, 3-6.
It was a high-stakes match for both. Sinner wants to win his fifth Grand Slam title and defend his trophy in New York, while for Shapovalov, it could have been one of the biggest wins in his tennis career.
The fact that the stakes and tensions were high became apparent from the first set of the match. Sinner last lost a set to Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon Championships final, and he really loses sets very rarely.
Up 5-3 in the opening set, Shapovalov likely felt that an upset could be brewing, but he didn't handle that game well. Serving for the set, the Canadian fell behind 15-40. He then put a first serve into the court, but got called for a "foot fault" by the automatic line-calling system.
Shapovalov then lost the rally with a forehand unforced error after his shot clipped the net cord and landed out. The Canadian was frustrated by the fact that he was called for a foot fault, suggesting that "someone pressed a button" when discussing the moment with the chair umpire.
"I have never had a foot fault. I come here and I get a foot fault. I wanna see the replay! Can you show me the replay? I haven't had a foot fault in my whole life. I can't see the replay? How convenient. Very convenient. Someone's pressing the button. I've never had one. Not one in my life."
It's understandable why Shapovalov was frustrated, but at the same time, it's also improbable that someone was trying to cause him trouble. However, it's possible that there was a system malfunction, and this incident certainly shed light on a potential issue with automatic line calling.
Shapovalov is happy about pushing Sinner to four sets at the US Open
The Canadian player was then able to forget his frustration and still win the first set of the match, but ultimately, it wasn't enough for him to secure a fourth-round appearance. Still, he was happy by the way he fought in the match.
"It's obviously a tough loss, but he's number one in for a reason, first of all, and I had my chance, was up in the third set. Obviously, he played great to come back and, honestly, it's a good step forward for me."
"Obviously, it's been a journey, a road to get back from my injury, to be producing this level again. And this is the goal, just to have this level more consistently. I know that I'm able to play at this brand of tennis, this level of tennis."
"So, in a way, I'm happy, obviously sad as well that I lost, but, uh, it's definitely a good, good step forward for me. And, hopefully, I can try to play this level more consistently."
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