(VIDEO) “Why do you have to film me when I lose?”: Denis Shapovalov frustrated after early grass exit

Denis Shapovalov starred in a particular moment on his return to the courts in ’s-Hertogenbosch after falling in the first round to veteran Marin Čilić in a three-set battle, which ended in victory for the Croatian by 6-7(5), 6-4, 7-5.

The Canadian had started the match in control after taking the first-set tie-break, but Čilić then raised his level and, at 37 years old, managed to secure another grass-court victory, this time at the Libema Open, where he reached the semifinals back in 2017.

At the end of the match, a moment of anger was seen from Shapovalov, who was being filmed by television broadcast cameras when the former top-10 player showed his frustration at being filmed up close immediately after the match ended.

“Why do you have to film me when I lose?” Shapovalov is seen saying directly to the cameraman – who is filming him in close-up as he walks off the court. “Why? Just put the camera away, please.," said Shapovalov visibly upset after the defeat and because of the cameras so close to his face.

And Shapovalov is not having a good time in recent months, after five consecutive defeats dating back to the Munich Open. The Canadian has in fact been struggling since the first rounds for much of the season – he has barely made it past the first round in two of his last 10 tournaments played.

The 27-year-old player – who was pointed out as one of the great future prospects when he was taking his first steps on tour – has seen his level drop and has lost prominence. His results for a long time now have kept him far from being a protagonist in major tournaments, and he has only managed to get past the first round of a Grand Slam in one of his last 16 appearances.

In the last three years he has more defeats than victories in major events and has also not produced deep runs in Masters 1000 tournaments.

After the defeat in ’s-Hertogenbosch, Shapovalov says goodbye to the tournament and will return to the courts in about a week at the Queen’s Club Championships – which will be his last preparatory tournament for Wimbledon. Let us remember that Shapovalov reached the semifinals at Wimbledon back in 2021, although he was eventually defeated by the eventual champion Novak Djokovic.

On the other side, Čilić advanced to the second round of the tournament, where he will face Nuno Borges – who comes after eliminating Terence Atmane.