Denis Shapovalov was kicked out of the 2024 Citi Open in Washington.
Disqualifications in tennis are rare, but they do happen when something goes wrong. Shapovalov’s clash with a spectator led to his default, which isn’t considered a severe offense. These incidents between players and spectators aren’t new.
Shapovalov’s recent match at the Citi Open ended with him being disqualified after an argument with a spectator, leaving many puzzled . The Canadian player himself was shocked by the decision but had no choice but to leave the court, losing his prize money and points.
Players React:
Several players have spoken up to support Shapovalov. Christopher Eubanks found the situation amusing and couldn’t understand what could have been said to cause such a reaction.
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🇨🇦 Denis Shapovalov | 25 | 550 | 9 - 14 |
“I’m curious what you can possibly say to a spectator that’ll get you defaulted.”
Alexander Bublik, known for his controversial moments, also voiced his opinion on social media. He called it ‘nonsense’ and criticized how much freedom spectators have compared to athletes.
“We back to complete nonsense again? Next time we going to get defaulted because we looked at the spectator the “wrong way” but they can do and say whatever they want?”
Fans might think this whole situation is pretty unfair.
On another note, Ben Shelton, who played against Shapovalov in Washington, didn’t want to discuss the incident much.
“No, I mean, it is what it is. I think it was a tough situation all around. I don’t really have any other comments on that situation.”
Shapovalov needs to move past this quickly as he’s set to compete in Montreal soon. Incidents like these spark debates about crowd behavior in tennis—something that needs addressing from both sides.
What do you think about this whole incident?