"I've never done a foot fault in my life" - Denis Shapovalov furious, demands to see replay after controversial call in Jannik Sinner clash at US Open

A controversy arose during Jannik Sinner and Denis Shapovalov's third-round clash at the 2025 US Open, leaving everyone puzzled, including Shapovalov himself. The Canadian couldn’t hold back his frustration and vented about it immediately afterwards.

Both Jannik Sinner and Denis Shapovalov have been in fine form at the 2025 US Open, with Sinner overcoming Vit Kopriva and Alexei Popyrin, while Shapovalov got past Marton Fucsovics and Valentin Royer to set up their third-round clash. Their encounter is currently underway at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The Canadian shocked the crowd by snatching the opening set 7-5 from the defending champion. However, the finish was far from smooth, as the set closed amid a wave of controversy.

While serving for the set, Denis Shapovalov was hit with a foot fault call that left him baffled. He immediately approached the umpire, claiming the call was made intentionally and demanding to see a replay, but the umpire stood firm, insisting the call was correct.

"I haven never done a foot fault in my life. I come here and I get a foot fault. I want to see the replay," Shapovalov told the umpire in frustration.

"Denis, it was the right foot," the umpire replied.

"Of course it was," the 26-year-old hit back.

A foot fault in tennis is when the server’s foot touches or crosses the baseline, or is placed outside the allowed area, before hitting the ball. It’s basically like committing a foul in serving, and the serve doesn’t count.

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Denis Shapovalov "confident" of defeating Jannik Sinner in US Open 3R

Denis Shapovalov pictured at the 2025 US Open | Image Source: Getty

Denis Shapovalov faced a testing battle in the second round of the 2025 US Open, needing four sets to get past Valentin Royer with a 7-6(6), 3-6, 7-6(4), 6-3 victory. The hard-fought win seemed to give the Canadian a major boost, as he later admitted that his confidence had soared and that he felt assured about his chances of defeating defending champion Jannik Sinner.

Shapovalov said (via ATP Tour):

“I would say my confidence is very high. I would say it's different than when I was young and the confidence would be high, but it would be pretty fragile. I think now — and you can see with my results — that the confidence is there."

"Even if I have a bad few weeks or unlucky draws or a couple of tough matches, I'm able to bring it back and play at a high level when the next week comes. I think that's why I have been able to win three titles in less than 12 months, and that's why I've been able to have so many great weeks recently. I definitely think that the confidence is there. I'm playing great tennis," he added.

For Shapovalov, the goal is to win his first Grand Slam title in New York. For Sinner, it is about defending the crown he won last year and holding on to the No. 1 ranking, which Carlos Alcaraz would take from him if he loses.