Denis Shapovalov has called out the ATP for not handling unruly fans during matches.
He voiced his frustration on X (formerly Twitter) after hearing about Jordan Thompson being harassed by two spectators at the Cincinnati Open. Thompson, who was playing a tough three-set match against Ugo Humbert, managed to win despite losing the first set 3-6 and clinching victory in a final set tie-break.
However, the match is more remembered for gambling-related heckling than for its quality. A fan posted tweets showing two men in the front row repeatedly mocking Thompson. One of them even placed a bet on DraftKings for the match he was watching.
Disruptive Behavior:
During the game, Thompson complained to chair umpire Mohamed Lahyani, who tried to calm things down but with little success. The harassment continued, leading Thompson to confront one of the hecklers when he was up 5-2 in the second set. The man admitted betting on Humbert and was warned by security that he could be ejected if his behavior didn’t improve.
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ca Denis Shapovalov | 25 | 550 | 9 - 14 |
“Two fans in the front row of Thompson vs Humbert @CincyTennis have heckled with Thompson twice now. First time Thompson was clearly agitated.”
Thompson’s frustrations echoed Shapovalov’s own experiences earlier this month when he got into it with a fan during his quarterfinal against Ben Shelton. Shapovalov was disqualified for using profanity but later won an appeal to keep his prize money and points from that tournament.
Fans might think it’s high time ATP took stricter measures against such behavior.
“So @atptour how long are we going to keep allowing these things to go on?”
Shapovalov’s post highlights ongoing issues with enforcing fan conduct rules at tournaments. What do you think should be done?
