Denis Shapovalov, the Canadian tennis star, has endured a challenging season in 2023, marked by a string of inconsistent performances and an incident that he believes dramatically altered the trajectory of his year. The 25-year-old, currently ranked 92nd in the world, continues to express regret over an episode that occurred during the ATP event in Washington earlier this year. What was initially shaping up to be one of his better tournaments of the season ended in controversy and frustration, leaving a lingering impact on his mindset and subsequent results.
The turning point in Shapovalov’s season came during the quarterfinals of the Washington tournament, where he was up against rising American star Ben Shelton. The match was a closely contested affair, with the score tied at 7-6, 6-6 when an unexpected altercation between Shapovalov and a fan in the stands escalated to the point where tournament authorities intervened. As tensions rose, Shapovalov found himself disqualified from the match, a decision that not only shocked him but also effectively derailed what had been his best performance of the year up to that point.
This disqualification was a significant blow to the Tel Aviv-born player, who had been struggling throughout the season to find form. Out of the 40 matches he played this year, Shapovalov has only managed to win 17, and the Washington quarterfinal represented a glimmer of hope in an otherwise disappointing campaign. Reflecting on the incident in a recent interview, Shapovalov was candid about how the decision has continued to haunt him and how it negatively impacted the remainder of his season.
“I am not happy with the result,” Shapovalov admitted. “To me, it was wrong what happened. It was at an important moment in my season because, finally, when I was playing well, I had a good run, and then this incident happened—it killed my momentum. You could see in Montreal there was a lot of other focus, and I was not able to play my best tennis, and it carried on to the US Open.”
For Shapovalov, the Washington quarterfinal wasn’t just another match; it was a crucial moment in a year where he had been searching for a breakthrough. The disqualification came at a time when he was feeling confident and in control of his game, and the sudden turn of events left him mentally shaken. He confessed that the incident stayed with him long after the match ended, affecting his focus and performance in subsequent tournaments, including his home event in Montreal and the US Open, one of the sport’s biggest stages.
Despite his frustration, Shapovalov decided to appeal the ruling, and in a rare move, the ATP admitted that the decision to disqualify him had been a mistake. This acknowledgment allowed Shapovalov to retain the ranking points he would have earned in Washington, but the damage had already been done. As he pointed out in his interview, while he regained his points, he lost the prize money from the event, which he described as adding insult to injury.
“Even though I got the 100 points back from the decision, I lost all my prize money. If you reduce the fine and the taxes, they sent me a check for $154. It was kind of an insult to me,” Shapovalov said with palpable frustration. “The ATP didn’t admit they were wrong. You have players that did way, way worse than what I have done, and there were no big punishments. I was unlucky, and I am still upset that they did not admit their mistake.”
The incident left Shapovalov in a difficult mental state, one that he struggled to overcome for much of the season. He described how, in the immediate aftermath of the disqualification, he lost his desire to play tennis. The disillusionment he felt was compounded by the fact that, in his view, other players had committed far more egregious offenses without facing the same level of punishment. This sense of injustice weighed heavily on Shapovalov, further affecting his performance on the court.
“At that moment, I did not want to play tennis,” Shapovalov admitted. “But after Davis Cup, it was better.”
Shapovalov’s reference to the Davis Cup signals a turning point in his outlook. Although the Washington incident continued to bother him, his participation in the Davis Cup allowed him to regain some of the motivation and joy for the game that had been lost in the aftermath of the controversy. Representing Canada in the team competition helped reignite his competitive spirit, offering him a fresh perspective as he looked to salvage what was left of a difficult season.
In hindsight, the Washington disqualification is a stark reminder of how quickly fortunes can change in professional sports. For Shapovalov, it was a moment that not only cost him a potential tournament victory but also disrupted the mental and emotional equilibrium he had worked hard to establish. While he eventually regained his footing, the lingering effects of that decision continue to serve as a source of frustration and disappointment for the young Canadian star.
As Shapovalov looks ahead to the future, he is determined to move past the setbacks of 2023 and rediscover the form that once saw him rise to the upper echelons of the ATP rankings. Whether he can put the Washington controversy behind him for good remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: Denis Shapovalov is eager to prove that his best days on the court are still ahead of him.
It was an honor to share the court with you @RafaelNadal!! Thank you for everything you’ve done for our sport and for inspiring me and so many. Congrats on an amazing career!! 🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/Q2J4AoURG7
— Denis Shapovalov (@denis_shapo) October 11, 2024