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Denis Shapovalov of Canada maintains ranking points and prize money following disqualification in Washington tournament

Denis Shapovalov of Canada maintains ranking points and prize money following disqualification in Washington tournament

August 5, 2024

Canada’s Denis Shapovalov will retain his ranking points and prize money after appealing his disqualification from the quarterfinals of the Mubadala Citi DC Open.

Shapovalov lost his first set 7-6 (5) in a match against American Ben Shelton on Friday and trailed 6-3 in a tiebreaker in the second set when he threw his racket to the court and began shouting at a fan in the stands.

As Shelton was about to serve for triple match point, the 25-year-old Shapovalov again argued with a fan. He was given an unsportsmanlike conduct code violation by the umpire, who then summoned a supervisor.

The ATP announced Monday that the loss of ranking points and prize money, which is automatically applied when a player defaults, was a disproportionate penalty for Shapovalov’s actions.

He will, however, have to pay a US$36,400 fine for the violation.

Shapovalov, from Richmond Hill, Ont., is back in action this week at the National Bank Open in Montreal. He’ll begin his tournament Wednesday against a qualifier.

Canadian tennis player Denis Shapovalov recently made headlines after being disqualified from the Washington tournament for accidentally hitting a ball into the umpire’s eye. Despite the unfortunate incident, Shapovalov will still maintain his ranking points and prize money from the tournament.

Shapovalov, who is currently ranked 143 in the world, was facing Kyle Edmund in the third round of the tournament when the incident occurred. After losing a point, Shapovalov hit a ball in frustration and it struck umpire Arnaud Gabas in the eye. Gabas was unable to continue officiating the match and Shapovalov was subsequently disqualified.

Following the disqualification, Shapovalov issued a heartfelt apology to Gabas and expressed his regret over the incident. He also stated that he would learn from the experience and work on controlling his emotions on the court.

Despite being disqualified, Shapovalov will still receive his ranking points and prize money from the tournament. This is due to a rule in the ATP Tour regulations that states a player will not lose their ranking points or prize money if they are disqualified for unintentional actions.

Shapovalov’s performance in the Washington tournament was impressive up until the incident, as he had defeated several higher-ranked players on his way to the third round. The 18-year-old has been hailed as one of Canada’s most promising young tennis talents and has already made a name for himself on the ATP Tour.

While the disqualification was undoubtedly a setback for Shapovalov, it is clear that he has the talent and potential to bounce back from this incident. With his ranking points and prize money intact, Shapovalov can now focus on continuing to improve his game and make a mark on the professional tennis circuit.