Novak Djokovic expressed strong support for the introduction of video reviews in tennis following the controversial end of Jack Draper's match at the Cincinnati Open, which sparked discussions about the need for replays in the sport.
Draper, the top British tennis player, secured a hard-fought victory over Canadian Félix Auger-Aliassime with a score of 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, advancing to the quarterfinals. However, the match ended in controversy when Auger-Aliassime protested, claiming Draper's winning volley had touched the ground before crossing the net. Chair umpire Greg Allensworth ruled in favor of Draper, but without access to a video review, the decision stood despite Auger-Aliassime's objections.
Djokovic and the Debate on Technology in Tennis
Unable to overturn the decision due to the lack of video evidence, the tournament supervisor upheld the original ruling. Draper, uncertain about the accuracy of the call, refused to concede the point without clear proof of error. Auger-Aliassime expressed his frustration to the umpire, commenting, “This is going to spread and it’s going to look ridiculous now.”
The incident drew attention from other players. Stefanos Tsitsipas shared a clip of the disputed point on platform X, where he commented: “I think I’ve never seen a shot like that.”
Djokovic, in response to Tsitsipas's post, emphasized the need for video reviews to prevent similar situations. “It’s embarrassing that we don’t have a replay for these types of situations,” Djokovic said. “It’s even more absurd that umpires can’t change the original decision based on video review. Everyone watching on TV can see the replay, but the players are left in the dark.”
He made an appeal to tennis authorities to address the issue. “We have Hawk-Eye for line calls, and we are in the 21st century! Please make sure this doesn’t happen again!” Djokovic concluded.
Draper's journey at the Cincinnati Open came to an end on Sunday when he was defeated by Holger Rune in the quarterfinals, with a score of 4-6, 2-6. Rune capitalized on a single break point in the first set and broke Draper again early in the second set to secure the victory. Rune will face Frances Tiafoe in the semifinals after Hubert Hurkacz withdrew from his match against the American. In the other semifinal, top seed Jannik Sinner is set to face Alexander Zverev.
On the women's side, Iga Swiatek made a comeback to overcome Mirra Andreeva 4-6, 6-3, 7-5. She prepares for a semifinal clash with Aryna Sabalenka. Meanwhile, Jessica Pegula will face Paula Badosa after both secured their spots in the top 4.
