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.
Shapovalov, once rated as one of the most promising young players in the sport, lost the first set 6-3 against Busta, who had never before won a match at Wimbledon.
A competitive second set went to a tie-break and it was at that point that Shapovalov suffered a freak injury after crashing into the netting at the back of Court 6.
The Canadian was attempting to retrieve a wide and deep ball to his left when he collided with the barrier by where the ball boys and girls stand and where the line judges used to operate.
Shapovalov immediately looked in discomfort, grabbing his left shoulder as his opponent and the chair umpire looked on in concern.
After a brief medical timeout, Shapovalov opted to carry on but lost the second set with the next point as Carreno Busta moved closer to his first SW19 win.
Shapovalov, 27, appeared to have a brief exchange with his coaching team before he gestured to the chair umpire that he was unable to continue.
‘Ladies and gentleman, unfortunately due to injury, Mr Shapovalov is forced to retire from the match,’ the chair umpire said as the players embraced.
Shapovalov added to the victorious Carreno Busta: ‘Sorry man, I think I’ve fd it’.
The walkover means Shapovalov has not reached the second round at Wimbledon since 2021, with his run to the semi-finals now a distant memory.
He beat Sir Andy Murray in the third round that year before losing to eventual champion Novak Djokovic, who is currently bidding for his eighth title at the All England Club.
Shapovalov also lost in the first round of the French Open, winning just one match at the Australian Open as his career continues to stagnate.
Carreno Busta, meanwhile, won his first game at Wimbledon at the eighth attempt and faces countryman Rafael Jodar in the second round.
The 34-year-old reached the US Open semi-finals in 2020, losing to eventual runner-up Alexander Zverev in five after winning the first two sets.
