Denis Shapovalov: Davis Cup default was a 'maturing' experience

Denis Shapovalov describes his Davis Cup default as a learning experience, and says he and the umpire involved are now friends.

Shapovalov smashed a ball towards the stands during a first-round Davis Cup match against Britain, but instead hit umpire Arnaud Gabas in the eye and was defaulted. That allowed the Brits to wrap up a 3-2 victory in the tie. The umpire required a medical procedure but is now officiating again.

Writing for the ATP website, the 18-year-old Canadian said the moments following the incident were a "blur," but he subsequently understood he had to learn from it.

"I let a lot of people down, including my country, Davis Cup teammates, supporters and fans," Shapovalov said. "I knew I couldn't undo what happened, so the only thing left was to face my mistake and work on never letting this happen again.

"I stayed in touch with Arnaud to check on his recovery and he has been incredibly gracious and understanding. I think through this terrible incident we've become friends. I hope that in the future he will agree to umpire one of my matches."

Since then, Shapovalov has won his first Challenger title, in Drummondville, and reached the final of the Challenger event in Guadalajara.

"[I]t occurred to me again that the Davis Cup incident was probably the most maturing experience for me since turning pro," said Shapovalov. "It made me focus on my game and on the mental aspect of competing, which in turn brought me these latest results. Through it all, I found out who my true friends are and gained new friends as well."

The former Wimbledon boys’ champion also talked about the pressure he has put on himself since turning pro, but says his team has helped his approach to the game—as did his moment of worldwide scrutiny.

"It motivated me to work even harder to succeed and just enjoy all these new experiences," he added. "At the time, it was hard to imagine I would be standing with my first Challenger trophy just one month later in Drummondville."

Shapovalov is No. 184 in the rankings.