Denis Shapovalov sends defiant message to fans regarding ATP sanction after incident in Washington

Canadian tennis star Denis Shapovalov remains upset at being fined by the ATP for his unsportsmanlike conduct during a match at the DC Open, and has released a statement stating his displeasure with the levy.

The former World No.10 faced American Ben Shelton in the quarterfinals of the DC Open, but was disqualified after he insulted a fan and exchanged some terse words with the umpire. Following a default, a player automatically loses the prize money and ranking points earned during that event. However, Shapovalov appealed the decision, resulting in his points and prize money being restored.

Despite not losing his hard-earned points and prize money, Shapovalov still had to pay a $36,400 fine for the conduct code violation. This led the Canadian to voice his displeasure in an open statement on social media, where he shared his disagreement at the decision. Additionally, Shapovalov chastised the ATP for not protecting players while thanking everyone who stood by hime during the trial period.

"Dear fans, I would like to thank you for standing by my side through these last few days,” Shapovalov wrote in a statement posted to his Twitter and Instagram Stories. "As you can imagine it's been an extremely stressful time for me. I continue to feel shocked and disappointed over the decision to disqualify me from my match against Ben in Washington. It was not fair to me, him or anyone that was there to watch the match.
"I am pleased and thankful with the quick decision to reinstate my points and prize money. I must state however that I do not agree with the hefty fine I was given, which is more than half the prize money earned last week, and will continue to fight that.

“We all work extremely hard—our tennis careers are our lives and should not be derailed by unnecessary, subjective ruling. I also hope the ATP can put better rules in place for protecting players from abusive fans.”