+

Cookies on the Business Insider India website

Business Insider India has updated its Privacy and Cookie policy. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the better experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we\'ll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on the Business Insider India website. However, you can change your cookie setting at any time by clicking on our Cookie Policy at any time. You can also see our Privacy Policy.

Close
HomeQuizzoneWhatsappShare Flash Reads
 

An Australian Open ballgirl got a surprise souvenir after a rising star had a meltdown and smashed his racket

Jan 25, 2022, 23:44 IST
Insider
Denis Shapovalov.REUTERS/Loren Elliott
Advertisement

One man's trash is another man's — or ballgirl's — treasure.

World No. 14 Denis Shapovalov lost a five-set thriller to tennis legend Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open quarterfinal on Tuesday. Down the stretch of the gritty, back-and-forth match, the 22-year-old Canadian lost his cool; he called the umpires "corrupt" for refusing to give the high-profile world No. 5 a time violation.

Later, upon losing a grueling final set on an unforced error, Shapovalov smashed his racket before walking off the court.

The mangled Yonex-brand racket laid untouched on the blue hard court for several moments before a young ballgirl jogged over and slyly picked it up. She gripped the white handle behind her back as if to hide the racket and then continued walking off the court.

When she made eye contact with a fellow ball kid, the ballgirl shrugged and looked directly into the camera.

Advertisement

Then she made her way out of frame.

Shapovalov's racket lies smashed on the court after an outburst following his defeat to Rafael Nadal at the 2022 Australian Open.Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

The announcers loved it.

"She said 'I'll pick it up! I'll take it home with me!'" one of the announcers said on the broadcast.

Check out the lighthearted moment below:

You are subscribed to notifications!
Looks like you've blocked notifications!
Next Article