Denis Shapovalov 'did not sleep' after default for swearing at Washington Open

Canadian tennis player Denis Shapovalov “did not sleep for two days” after being defaulted from the Citi Open in Washington D.C.

Shapovalov automatically lost his ranking points and prize money after the default but they were reinstated after his appeal against the decision.

The 25-year-old will still pay a fine of $36,400 (£28,655) as punishment for swearing in the direction of a spectator while match point down against the United States’ Ben Shelton in their quarterfinal match last Friday.

Speaking in a press conference before the National Bank Open in Montreal, Shapovalov said he even considered skipping his home tournament after the decision.

“There was a moment after the match where I felt like it was so unfair that I wasn’t sure if I was even going to play this week,” he said. “Play at all, for that matter. I felt like it was really something that was taken away from me for nothing big that I did.”

Shapovalov was initially given a code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct, having also thrown his racket to the ground twice before swearing in the direction of the stands, appearing to say “what the f*** are you talking about?”

Chair umpire Greg Allensworth then called tournament supervisor Roland Herfel to the court, before deciding to default Shapovalov from the match.

Shapovalov clarified during the press conference that he was “talking to my box”, adding “this could easily have been a code for verbal obscenity, whatever you want to call it”, referring to the usual code violation handed out for an audible obscenity.

Shapovalov had skipped the 2024 Paris Olympic Games to play in Washington D.C., in order to accrue rankings points (players do not earn points for playing at the Olympics). He moves up 33 places from No 139 to No 106, getting closer to being in contention for a main draw spot at the US Open, which begins August 26.

It was his second time being defaulted from a match, but in very different circumstances. In the 2017 Davis Cup, he volleyed a ball in frustration that accidentally struck chair umpire Arnaud Gabas in the eye.

The ATP said officials had followed the correct procedure in defaulting Shapovalov. “However, the committee has concluded that loss of rankings points and prize money, which is automatically applied in the case of a default, would be a disproportionate penalty in this case,” it added.

“Shapovalov therefore retains quarter-final points and prize money, with a fine of $36,400 applied for the code violation.”

Shapovalov said he was “very lucky” to be getting his points back. “That’s where I think the rules need to change,” he added. “It’s got to be dependent on the situation whether or not you lose your points or money for the entire week.

“I could easily have gone home with negative money and zero points. It’s something that needs to change in tennis.”

Russia’s Andrey Rublev had a similar successful appeal after being defaulted from the Doha semifinal against Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik, also for swearing, this time in the direction of a line judge. His ranking points and prize money — on that occasion 200 points and around $160,000 (£125,976) — were reinstated, but he also had to pay a fine of $36,400.

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(Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)