"They don't know where they are going" - Medvedev takes shot at ATP over Shapovalov disqualification in Washington

Several people in the tennis community have chimed in on the disqualification of Denis Shapovalov at last week's DC Open in Washington, and colleague Daniil Medvedev is amongst those who are throwing their support behind the Canadian.

Shapovalov was defaulted during his match against Ben Shelton at the ATP 500 event, following his interaction with a spectator. The Canadian allegedly swore at the fan, leading to him arguing with the umpire before being disqualified. Although he was initially stripped of his prize money and ranking points from the event, they were eventually reinstated following an appeal. However, Shapovalov was forced to pay a fine for violation of the code of conduct.

The Russian tennis star was asked for his opinion on the matter during media day at the ongoing Canadian Open. Medvedev was quick to defend Shapovalov, and alluded to the ATP board being incompetent when it comes to handling these situations.

"I don't think Denis should have been disqualified," said the former World No.1. "From what you hear on TV, he deserved a warning and maybe a fine after the match, but that's it, so I was really very surprised. I think the ATP is doing some good things and some not so good things at the moment, but I have the impression that they don't know where they are going.
"They want to be like Formula 1 and football. But in this case you can't ask players to stay calm like robots, while around them there is a circus and a show. Things need to be clearer for the players and the spectators."