(VIDEO) Ironic karma hits as Denis Shapovalov hits himself in the face during victory over Taylor Fritz
ATP
Denis Shapovalov has shown he has the talent to compete with the best on the professional tour. However, the Canadian has struggled for form recently and came into the Dallas Open hoping to turn things around.
His big win against America’s Taylor Fritz was a step in the right direction. However, despite his hard-fought victory, the match will also be remembered for a humorous moment—a frustrated Shapovalov hit the ball towards the hoarding, only for it to bounce back and hit him in the face. The lighthearted moment added some comedy to an otherwise intense match.
The career of Shapovalov
Shapovalov has had an interesting career since turning professional in 2017. He reached a career-high ranking of 10and currently holds two ATP singles titles.
The Canadian has enjoyed deep Grand Slam runs, most notably reaching the U.S. Open quarter-finals in 2020 and the Wimbledon semi-finals in 2021. Known for his aggressive baseline play and stylish one-handed backhand, Shapovalov’s powerful serve makes him an exciting player to watch.
However, in recent years, he has struggled to find consistency. His victory over Fritz is a positive sign that he may be returning to form.
Shapovalov defeats Fritz in a thrilling contest
Despite being the underdog, Shapovalov showed remarkable resilience in the match. The two-hour battle ended with the Canadian securing a 2-6, 6-3, 7-6(2) victory.
Fritz started strong, dominating the first set. However, Shapovalov fought back brilliantly, firing 15 aces past his opponent and saving seven out of nine break points.
At one point, frustration got the better of him—he smashed the ball towards the advertising board, only for it to rebound and hit him directly in the face. Rather than letting it throw him off his game, Shapovalov laughed it off and stayed composed to close out the match in a deciding-set tiebreak.
His win over Fritz marks his first top-10 victory since 2022, a significant confidence boost as he looks to build momentum.
Shapovalov’s reaction
Following his hard-fought win, Shapovalov expressed his relief and excitement at overcoming one of the toughest opponents on tour.
"It feels incredible. Taylor is a super tough opponent… He came out super solid, and I came out a little sluggish. It was difficult. I'm happy with my fight. I'm happy I was able to turn it around in the second set and keep that momentum going," Shapovalov told the ATP Tour.
Looking ahead
Shapovalov has proven his ability to compete with the very best, and this win could be the turning point he needs to get back to the top of his game
If he can continue building momentum, stay consistent, and cut down on unforced errors, he could be a serious contender in bigger tournaments throughout 2025. It will be exciting to see if he can reclaim his best form and compete for major titles once again.
One of the shots of the year from Taylor Fritz vs Denis Shapovalov in Dallas pic.twitter.com/qfACwy1GJX
— Talking Tennis (@TalkingTennisTT) February 7, 2025
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- Creepy.
mandoist07-02-2025 - Ouch!!mandoist07-02-2025
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- This is just getting beyond ridiculous!! Not to mention unsportsmanlike and unfair to serious up & coming contenders.mandoist06-02-2025
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- It sounds seriously absurd that in Davis Cup, (unlike Grand Slams such as the Aus Open), medical time outs off court with the medical staff are not allowed?? I mean, if this was an Aus Open match, and the same thing happened to Gurin then, he would have been able to go off court for official medical time out and make an informed decision whether to resume the match or retire. How come such conditions do not apply in Davis Cup?? I mean, there with Davis Cup, it is even more like a soccer match or basketball game in that teams are playing. And so as with those, it ought to be the case in tennis that if a player needs serious medical time out, then one of the other team mates ought to substitute and each team needs to have stand-ins or understudies in case substitution is needed which will be rare but as we can see here, this kind of circumstance fits. But even if the teams do not go down the road of subbing other team mates in, in case of a health issue like the one which played out here, at least, as in the Aus Open and other Grand Slams, there ought to be time-outs with the health professionals and at the conclusion of these time-outs, the particular decision that has been reached between them and the player needs to be taken on board by the umpire. PERIOD.
Sueiyin04-02-2025 - "If Novak did this, he would be defaulted for life. WTF." 🤣 WTF sounds like What Tennis Fury?! What Tennis Flurry??! I mean, se-rious-ly, it was actually the unfairness of the silly umpire's decision that is the issue here! Further, how come it was Gurin & his team who got disqualified? If this kind of thing happens in soccer, it would be the other guy getting the yellow or red card! Because after all, it was the Belgian who's foul it was so why then penalize the opponents for something they didn't instigate? Fouls in both basketball and soccer are read as a hinderance that has been caused by the player who INITIALLY instigated the hinderance. In this case, okay, it is tennis, but while the precise rules are different to either soccer or basketball, the same type of recognition as to whoever instigates a hinderance should apply, and in this case, it was the Belgian player.Sueiyin04-02-2025
- Medvedev talking to his form here. "Some actual deep problem." 🤣😂🤣MrAndreeva03-02-2025
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- Ha-ha-ha... Translation: I'll help as long as I don't have to meet in person and endure the ongoing BS"mandoist03-02-2025
