WATCH: 23-Year-Old Tennis Star Denis Shapovalov Screams At Crowd To "Shut The Fuck Up" After Questionable Call During Italian Open

Source - Denis Shapovalov just went scorched earth at the Italian Open -- the Canadian tennis star told fans in the stands to "shut the f*** up" in a fit of rage ... and the moment was captured on video.

The incident went down during Shapovalov's match against Lorenzo Sonego in the tourney's round of 64 ... when Denis got into an argument with the umpire on the sideline. 

Denis was upset over a point penalty he received after crossing the net to show the ump a mark on the court ... and when he approached the guy on the sideline, fans in attendance at the Grand Stand Arena let him hear it with a loud chorus of boos.

In the short clip, Shapovalov turns to the crowd and yells, "Shut the f*** up," before going back to plead his case in front of the supervisor.

The Video:

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The 23-year-old later apologized for his outburst ... saying he understands the ump was just doing his job. 

A tennis blog for my first one back? Why not? Sorry, Hubbs. But when I saw this twinky tennis bro going ballistic at the umpire I felt it was appropriate to chime in. To be honest he gained a fan. I love the unhinged, especially when it comes to athletes. It makes them relatable. Human, if you will. That said, there's a 1000% chance he YouTubed "John Mcenroe meltdown" and decided to copy his schtick. Don't know what I'm talking about? Here ya go...

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Regardless, Denis Shapovalov gets it. He knows how to make headlines outside of his sport. Whether or not that was his intent has yet to be seen, but it was entertaining nevertheless. Also, as a side note, athletes should be able to yell at the crowd just like the crowd yells at them. Fair is fair. You wanna talk shit to your favorite basketball player? Fine. But you better be prepared for them to talk shit back. That's it for this one. If you want to read more about Denis Shapovalov you can do so here. If not, here's a John MCEnroe on Jiminy Glick. Enjoy…

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