Jack Draper shared his honest response to the Cincinnati Open controversy at the end of his match against Felix Auger-Aliassime.
At the end of his last 16 match against the Canadian in Ohio, the Brit experienced arguably his most intense and contentious moment on court so far.
The 22-year-old won the match and in the process reached the first Masters 1000 quarter-final of his career so far.
But despite achieving a milestone Draper was subject to plenty of criticism post-match, something he had not previously experienced before.
What did Jack Draper say about the Cincinnati Open controversy against Felix Auger-Aliassime?
While up match point, Jack Draper won the match after he hit a volley following his serve, which trickled over the net for a winner.
Felix Auger-Aliassime argued that the ball came off the frame and hit the ground before going over the net, therefore claiming chair umpire Greg Allensworth made the wrong call.
Draper was unsure if his shot was legal and wanted to replay the point, but plenty of fans strongly criticised him and claimed he knew it was not a fair shot.
Ahead of the US Open, Draper has spoken out on the incident and was very clear on how the feedback impacted him.
“I was thinking about it four days non stop, I was really upset by it,” Draper said. “I think it’s respect, honesty, fair play. I’ve done it on the tour before, where I’ve maybe given a second serve because there’s been a loud noise or something.
“I always play by those things. I genuinely didn’t know, and I found the criticism hard, because, that was my honest truth.”
What did Jack Draper say about Felix Auger-Aliassime’s behaviour at the Cincinnati Open?
Auger-Aliassime was left disappointed by the decision made by chair umpire Allensworth that ultimately cost him the match. The 24-year-old shook hands with Draper and graciously walked off court after suffering a crushing defeat.
Draper claimed his second win against Auger-Aliassime and he has since praised the player for how he conducted himself during a very difficult situation for him.
“I thought Felix dealt with it incredibly well. I think if anyone he had the best view of it, because he was, he was front on so he probably saw what was going on before any of us knew,” Draper added.
“The way he dealt with it, obviously on the court, but then in the changing room as well, he’d obviously seen the replay, and probably had his questions – ‘You knew’ and stuff like that – but he was classy about it and full respect to him.
“Overall, it’s a good experience for everyone, and a good way of showing that we really do need VAR technology and hope that this situation doesn’t happen, so that tennis is completely fair.”
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