Denis Shapovalov has made his feelings about the ATP abundantly clear after a fallout at the Washington Open.
Once tipped to be the next staple player of the ATP’s top 10, Denis Shapovalov has suffered a bumpy fall from grace.
While Shapovalov missed sixth months of the season in 2023 due to a knee injury he suffered at Wimbledon, he’s made heavy work of rising up the rankings.
Focussing on the hard-courts early this summer, Shapovalov was defaulted after a heated exchange with a fan.
Losing all earnings initially, the Canadian’s ranking points were eventually returned to him.
However, with an incredibly poor run of results following, Shapovalov has admitted he is still reeling from the whole ordeal.
Denis Shapovalov accuses ATP of giving him ‘insulting’ pay cheque
Certainly not one to mince his words over his fractured relationship with the ATP, the 25-year-old has fortunately seen a slight turn in results, performing well in Canada’s Davis Cup matches in September.
However, still ruing a poor run in North America and at the US Open, Shapovalov has opened up about his struggles.
Reported by Punto de break, Shapovalov said: “I am not happy with the decision; for me, what happened was a mistake. It was at an important moment in my season because I was finally playing well, had a good streak, and then this incident happened, which halted my momentum.
The Canadian explained: “In Montreal, I was much more focused, and I couldn’t display my best tennis, which showed at the US Open.
“It stayed in my mind; I was very upset, even though they gave me back the 100 points from the decision, I lost all the money. If we deduct the fine and taxes, they sent me a check for $154. It was kind of an insult to me,” he said.
“The ATP didn’t admit they were wrong. There are players who have done much worse things than mine and haven’t received significant punishments. I was unlucky, and I am still upset because they didn’t admit their mistake. At that time, I didn’t want to play tennis, but after the Davis Cup, it got better.”
Denis Shapovalov might need to grow up a little
A dynamic and exciting player, his immense talent is often overshadowed by emotional outbursts and inconsistency on the court.
While his aggressive playing style can be thrilling, it frequently leads to costly errors when frustration takes over.
Shapovalov must improve his mental discipline and decision-making to contend with the top players again or risk falling further behind.
By channeling his energy into staying composed and refining his game, he could become a more serious threat in the ATP rankings. It’s time for him to mature and fully commit to realizing his undeniable talent.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
