Seven active players who have been defaulted in men’s tennis as Andrey Rublev joins Novak Djokovic on the list
Forty-five players have been defaulted from a men’s tennis match since records began with one player having the “honour” of being disqualified five times.
Of those 45 players, only seven are still active and all seven have been defaulted only once in their careers.
Two-time Grand Slam winner Ilie Nastase is the man who has the “honour” of being defaulted the most times in tennis (5) while seven players have been defaulted twice.
Vitas Gerulaitis, Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, Andre Agassi, Mariano Zabaleta, Stefan Koubek and David Nalbandian are the players who have been defaulted twice in their careers.
But let’s look at the seven players who are still active on the ATP Tour who have been disqualified in recent years.
1. Denis Shapovalov – 2017
Aged just 17, Denis Shapovalov was left “ashamed” after he hit an umpire with a ball during Canada’s Davis Cup match against Great Britain in Ottawa in February 2017.
After dropping serve against Kyle Edmund, Shapovalov angrily hit the ball and it struck French umpire Arnaud Gabas in the eye, which was an automatic default.
“Luckily he was okay but obviously it’s unacceptable behaviour from me,” the Canadian youngster said at the time. I just feel awful for letting my team down, for letting my country down, for acting in a way that I would never want to act.
“I can promise that’s the last time I will do anything like that. I’m going to learn from this and try to move past it.”
Luckily Gabas didn’t sustain any serious injury, but it was a hard lesson to learn for Shapovalov.
2. Nick Kyrgios – 2019
Nick Kyrgios has received several warnings, been docked points and handed fines for his on-court behaviour, but he has been defaulted only once.
That incident took place at the 2019 Italian Open with the Australian taking on Casper Ruud.
With the Norwegian leading 6-3, 6-7,(5), 2-1, Kyrgios slammed down his racket, kicked a water bottle and hurled a chair onto the court.
Kyrgios actually left the court before he was officially defaulted as he told the “I’m done”.
He was fined €20,000 for the three unsportsmanlike conduct penalties he received and lost €33,635 in prize money and 45 ATP Ranking points.
“Very eventful day to say the least. Emotions got the better of me and I just wanted to say that the atmosphere was crazy out there today, just super unfortunate that it had to end in a default. Sorry Roma, see you again, maybe,” Kyrgios wrote on Twitter later.
3. Novak Djokovic – 2020
One of the most-talked-about defaults in the history of tennis came at the 2020 US Open and it involved world No 1.
Taking on Pablo Carreño Busta for a place in the quarter-final, things unravelled during the first set with the Spaniard leading 6-5.
Frustrated after dropping his serve, Djokovic tried to hit the ball to a ball kid but he did so without looking and it hit the line judge in the throat. The official collapsed to the floor, holding her throat and after a lengthy discussion with officials, the Serbian was defaulted.
After the incident he wrote: “This whole situation has left me really sad and empty. I checked on the lines person and the tournament told me that thank God she is feeling ok.
“I’m extremely sorry to have caused her such stress. So unintended. So wrong. I’m not disclosing her name to respect her privacy. As for the disqualification, I need to go back within and work on my disappointment and turn this all into a lesson for my growth and evolution as a player and human being. I apologize to the @usopen tournament and everyone associated for my behaviour.”
4. Fabio Fognini – 2021
Temperamental Italian Fabio Fognini lost his cool at the 2021 Barcelona Open as hurled verbal abuse at a line judge after the official called out a foot fault against him while he also smashed his racket in anger.
Having been given a warning earlier in the match, Fognini was defaulted while trailing Bernabe Zapata Miralles 6-0, 4-4 and he smashed his racket on the net for good measure as he left the court.
He later stated: “I did not insult the line judge in the match against Zapata Miralles. I was frustrated, angry: I was talking to myself. I swear by my children, my dearest thing in the world.”
The Italian added: “I want an apology for the enormous error. If my appeal is rejected, I will put everything in the hand of the lawyer and ask the ATP for compensation for very serious damage to image. I’ve always admitted them, but this time I’m right, and I’m going straight to the goal.”
5. Corentin Moutet – 2022
Back at the 2022 Adelaide International, Corentin Moutet told the chair umpire “f*** you” during his second-round match against Laslo Djere.
After several calls went against him and with the score 6-4, 5-7, the Frenchman walked over to the official and repeatedly shouted “f** you”.
There was a long chat with the ATP supervisor, but the outcome was a default for Moutet.
“Different rules, different person. They’ll treat me good when they’ll need me,” the Frenchman wrote in an Instagram Story after the incident.
6. Mikael Ymer – 2023
Swedish player Mikael Ymer violently slammed his racket against the chair umpire’s chair during his round of 16 clash against Arthur Fils at the Lyon Open.
With the scores 5-5 in the opening set, Ymer got involved in an argument with the official after a ball was called in. The Swede wanted the official to come down to check the mark, but umpire Rogerio Santos refused.
“Why are you not checking the mark?” the player asked. “Are you telling me you’re not even going to come down and check the mark?
“I’ve never witnessed that a ref says, ‘I’m not going to go down and check the mark.’ It doesn’t happen.”
Ymer played one more point, but Fils broke his serve and then he completely lost his cool as he twice hit his racket on the side of the umpire’s chair. The racket broke and the Swede threw the handle on the court.
The default quickly arrived and Ymer accepted his fate.
7. Andrey Rublev – 2024
Andrey Rublev has made no secret of the fact that he needs to improve when it comes to keeping his cool on court, but he failed to heed his own advice at the Dubai Tennis Championships.
Trailing Alexander Bublik 6-5 in the deciding set of their semi-final clash, Rublev’s anger got the better of him as he screamed in the direction of the line judge.
The official reported it to the chair umpire and ATP supervisor Roland Herfel then got involved as it was alleged that Rublev insulted the umpire in Russian.
But the world No 5 protested his innocence, saying: “I didn’t say ‘f******’. I swear to God. This is huge. I swear to God.”
Chair umpire Miriam Bley didn’t give the usual warning as she went straight for the default.
READ MORE: Nick Kyrgios gives his verdict on Andrey Rublev’s sensational Dubai disqualification
