Imagine being at one of the most crucial stages of a tournament and getting eliminated because of your behavior and actions on the court. It would sting anyone to the core. This is exactly what happened to Canadian tennis star Denis Shapovalov at the Citi Open in Washington. Shapovalov, known for his fiery passion and competitive spirit, found himself in hot water during a heated match. The punishment he received is rather harsh!

Playing against Ben Shelton in the quarterfinal match, Shapovalov failed to do something significant and lost the first set 6(5)-7(7). As he attempted to get his hold back on the match, his anger proved to be fatal. With the second set tied at 6-6 and the tiebreaker underway, the Canadian star player was seen agitated as he had some ugly exchanges with a fan in the stands.

Shapovalov was seen smashing his racquet against the ground and then swatting it away. He was also spotted having an indistinct chatter with a fan, sitting near the baseline, as he visibly looked agitated. While usually players receive a warning and code violation during such instances, the Canadian’s fate was different. The umpire soon called a supervisor and the decision to disqualify Shapovalov was taken leaving the star player surprised. 

The 25-year-old was also seen talking to the umpire, probably to request him to overturn the decision but the attempt was in vain. This also left Shelton confused on the opposite end who could only understand the entire happening after an official updated him. Shapovalov, meanwhile, will receive no ranking points or prize money due to the default and will return empty-handed. But this is not the first time when the Canadian star has found himself in a fit of rage. 

In the recently concluded French Open, Shapovalov faced Hubert Hurkacz in the third round. He seemed to lose his cool during the match and smashed his racquet against his head. Besides, in the Australian Open of 2022, Shapovalov accused Rafael Nadal of deliberately slowing down the game and not being penalized for the same. He had smashed his racquet on the ground, leaving it deformed, as he called the umpires ‘corrupt.’ The instances of players losing their cool are taking center stage on the tennis courts lately. 

Similar incident, different venue: The story of agitation continues

While Shapovalov has faced the heat of the officials at the Washington Open, he is not the only player to depict such gestures. Just a day ahead, it was Novak Djokovic who found himself in the midst of a similar controversy.

Playing at the Paris Olympics on Saturday, Nole was furious during his match against Lorenzo Musetii. After trailing 2-1 in the second set, the Serbian star lost a first serve after a time violation in the match. This left him visibly annoyed as he shouted at his box. Eventually, he was penalized with an audible obscenity violation. Similar gestures were seen from Musetti as well, who after losing the first set in the match, smashed his racquets against the ground and was furious to the core. 

As the season progresses, what remains crucial for the player to keep their sanctity intact and demonstrate the highest of sportsmanship. Will more such controversies and harsh punishments follow in the future? Only time will tell!