Former Wimbledon semi-finalist Denis Shapovalov was forced to retire from his first-round match against Pablo Carreno Busta after suffering a freak injury at the All England Club. The 27-year-old Canadian, once rated among the sport's most promising young players, lost the first set 6-3 and was in a competitive second set tie-break when he crashed into the netting at the back of Court 6.
How the injury happened
Shapovalov was attempting to retrieve a wide and deep ball to his left when he collided with the barrier where ball boys and girls stand and where line judges used to operate. He immediately grabbed his left shoulder in discomfort as his opponent and the chair umpire looked on with concern. The world number 39, who reached the Wimbledon semi-finals in 2021, requested the physio upon returning to his chair.
After a brief medical timeout, Shapovalov opted to continue but lost the second set with the next point as Carreno Busta moved closer to his first SW19 win. Shapovalov then had a brief exchange with his coaching team before gesturing to the chair umpire that he could not continue.
Retirement and apology
“Ladies and gentleman, unfortunately due to injury, Mr Shapovalov is forced to retire from the match,” the chair umpire announced as the players embraced. Shapovalov added to the victorious Carreno Busta: “Sorry man, I think I’ve f****d it.” The walkover means Shapovalov has not reached the second round at Wimbledon since 2024, with his run to the semi-finals in 2021 now a distant memory.
In 2021, Shapovalov beat Sir Andy Murray in the third round before losing to eventual champion Novak Djokovic, who is currently bidding for his eighth Wimbledon title. Shapovalov also lost in the first round of the French Open and won just one match at the Australian Open as his career continues to stagnate.
Carreno Busta's milestone
Carreno Busta, 34, won his first match at Wimbledon at the eighth attempt and faces countryman Rafael Jodar in the second round. The Spaniard reached the US Open semi-finals in 2020, losing to eventual runner-up Alexander Zverev in five sets after winning the first two.
