Denis Shapovalov calls on ATP to “protect players” from fan abuse following D.C. default, fine

Denis Shapovalov broke his silence after the former world No. 10 was defaulted from the quarterfinals of the Mubadala Citi DC Open on Friday.

“I would like to thank you for standing by my side through these last few days,” Shapovalov wrote in a statement posted to his Twitter/X and Instagram Stories. 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 was match point down, trailing Shelton 6-3 in the second-set tiebreaker when he was issued a code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct, having been accused of swearing at a spectator. The tournament supervisor was called to court and the decision was made to default the 25-year-old from the match.

On appeal, the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) ruled that though Shapovalov would have to pay a $36,400 fine, he would retain the points and prize money earned from his week in Washington, D.C., which allowed him to move up 30 spots in the rankings to No. 106.

“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 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.”

Shapovalov, who thanks fans and fellow players for their support, will be back on court for his home tournament, the Omnium Banque Nationale in Montréal.