Denis Shapovalov and Ben Shelton went head-to-head for a spot in the Washington Open semifinal. While it was a competitive match, it was filled with drama as the 25-year-old tennis player ended up being disqualified. As the American who benefited from the disqualification, the Canadian tennis player had to face double the trouble as he incurred a hefty fine.

With three match points in the second set tiebreak, the 21-year-old was up on the scoreline. The Canadian lost his cool at that point and repeatedly threw his racket on the ground. On the other hand, a spectator’s shout provoked the 25-year-old tennis player, and his angry response further escalated the situation. As a result, he was disqualified, which confused him and Shelton equally.

Shapovalov kept his ranking points and prize money for making it to the Washington quarterfinals, even though defaulted. However, he could not escape a fine of $36,000, which cuts his QF prize money pay out to $17,240. While he leaves with less than half the promised prize money for his run, he unexpectedly benefited as he climbed 33 spots in this week’s rankings. Despite the contentious conclusion of the match, Shapovalov’s earlier performances guaranteed he would gain a substantial advantage.

This isn’t the first time Shapovalov has been defaulted from a match, though the circumstances were markedly different. Shapovalov aggressively threw a ball toward the stands in the 2017 Davis Cup after losing a point, unintentionally striking umpire Arnaud Gabas in the eye. As a result of the occurrence, Gabas had to undergo immediate medical attention and Shapavolav was defaulted.

The Professional Tennis Players Association’s (PTPA) co-founder, Vasek Pospisil, believes it’s time to do away with the rule that results in disqualification and payment reduction. He wrote on X, “This rule needs to change. Absolutely ridiculous that someone would lose all their prize money and points for something like this,” and the ATP heeded his words this time.

As the situation remain contentious, Alexander Bublik criticized the ATP for the default and shared his take on the whole incident.

Alexander Bublik strongly disagrees with the default

Bublik expressed his displeasure with spectators being free to say anything they wish to players and chastised the ATP for the default. “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?” he wrote on Instagram.

Meanwhile, Shelton was thrilled with the win but stayed silent about the event. He did not have any comments to share after his victory. “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.”

Although he retained the ranking points, the significant reduction in prize money likely struck a heavy blow to Shapovalov. It reignited discussions on the fairness of ATP rules and the treatment of players by spectators. Nevertheless, what are your thoughts on the incident? Do let us know in the comment section below.