WATCH: Denis Shapovalov gets defaulted from Citi Open for swearing at spectator during quarterfinal clash against Ben Shelton

While tennis fans' attention is focused on the Paris Olympics, Denis Shapovalov managed to put the City Open in the spotlight in dramatic fashion. The Canadian’s quarter-final match against Ben Shelton on Friday (August 2) ended in a controversy after he was defaulted from the tournament for swearing at a spectator out of frustration.

The duo clashed on the hard court at the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center, aiming for a place in the semi-finals of the ATP 500 event. Shelton won the opening set 7-6(5) and saved the match point in the second set tiebreak. The match seemed to be slipping away from Shapovalov as he made three unforced errors in a row when the tiebreak was perfectly balanced with the score at 3-3.  

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Shapovalov was seen slamming his racket on the ground when he went 3-6 down and smelled a defeat. He also got into a heated exchange with a fan who sent some rude comments from the stands. The 25-year-old swore at the spectator during the tense moment, which landed him in big trouble.

The chair umpire summoned the ATP supervisor to the court citing Shapovalov's actions as a violation of the code of conduct. The Canadian then tried to defend himself, saying he was provoked by fan's taunts. He asked the match official to issue a code violation without involving the supervisor.

"Yes I can. Give me a code but don't call the supervisor. He's talking to me, I'm going to tell him off. That's not fair," Shapovalov can be heard saying in a video that is circulating widely on social media. However, the umpire refused to consider the youngster’s request and informed the supervisor about the incident.  

Watch the video below: 

Wow, Denis Shapovalov DEFAULTED by the umpire while down 3 match points to Ben Shelton, due to swearing at a fan! 🇨🇦😳🇺🇸pic.twitter.com/VKQ4f4KslA

— Olly 🎾🇬🇧 (@Olly_Tennis_) August 3, 2024

Ben Shelton supports his opponent, but umpire refuses to budge

As the discussion between the chair umpire and Shapovalov continued, Ben Shelton backed up his opponent, saying his reaction was to ridiculous comments from the crowd. The American also urged the umpire to continue play, but the match official did not bother to back down from his stance, knocking the Canadian out of the tournament.

Shelton was not satisfied with his win as it ended in an abrupt manner. However, the 21-year-old will next face Flavio Cobolli in the Citi Open semi-final.

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