Denis Shapovalov said the heckling fan was ‘fooling around’ (Picture: Eurosport/Getty)
Tennis star Denis Shapovalov got angry and told a rowdy Australian Open spectator to ‘shut up’ – accusing them of drinking too many beers.
The incident occurred during the first set of Shapovalov’s second-round clash against Japan’s Taro Daniel on Wednesday, which he eventually won 6-3.
The 23-year-old Canadian grew tired of a particular fan’s heckling on Show Court 2 at Melbourne Park and complained to the umpire that the spectator had interrupted a rally.
‘They don’t need to be doing that,’ Shapovalov told the umpire. ‘They had a beer too much and now they’re fooling around.’
The heckling fan then shouted something inaudible at Shapovalov as he turned to the spectator and abruptly told him to ‘shut up’.
The umpire then had a chat with Shapovalov before he added: ‘I understand, but it’s excessive.’
Shapovalov, ranked world No.22, reached the Australian Open quarter-finals last year in what was his best performance at the major tournament.
His deepest run at a Grand Slam to date came at Wimbledon 2021 as he enjoyed a run to the semi-finals.
At Wimbledon 2022, tennis rebel Nick Kyrgios accused a fan of having ‘700 drinks’ during the final against Novak Djokovic.
‘Distracting me when I’m serving in a Wimbledon final?’ he said. ‘There’s no bigger occasion. You didn’t believe me [the first time] and now it’s happened again. It almost cost me the game. Why is she still here?
‘She’s drunk out of her mind in the first row speaking to me in the middle of a game. How is that acceptable?
‘Kick her out. I know exactly who it is. It’s the one with the dress… the one who looks like she has had about 700 drinks bro.’
Kyrgios, who withdrew from this year’s Australian Open through injury, was eventually taken to court over the incident and was forced to apologise as well as pay £20,000 to charity.
MORE : Nick Kyrgios forced to withdraw from 2023 Australian Open with injury: ‘I’m devastated’
‘They’re fooling around!’
