Jon Wertheim says Jack Draper should be given praise for his response to the Cincinnati Open controversy.
The Brit was heavily criticised by fans for his role in the closing stages of his round of 16 match with Felix Auger-Aliassime in Ohio.
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.
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.
At the time Jack Draper said he was unsure if his shot was legal and wanted to replay the point, but having seen the replay in the aftermath, he admitted that it was an illegal shot.
What did Jon Wertheim say about Jack Draper’s comments after the Cincinnati Open controversy?
Following the controversial ending of the match, Draper advanced to his first Masters 1000 quarter-final after a three-set battle.
Social media users began describing Draper as a ‘liar’ and ‘cheat’ and they claimed Draper knew he had hit an illegal shot.
It was a tough situation to navigate for everyone involved but American journalist Wertheim has come to the defence of the British number one.
The 53-year-old took to social media platform X to encourage fans to cut Draper some slack.
“Let the record reflect: Draper deserves a lot of credit for his honest assessment and concerns about reputation,” he wrote. “Give him some grace. Move on.”
What did Jack Draper say about the Cincinnati Open backlash?
Draper has since broken his silence on the Cincinnati Open controversy against Auger-Aliassime.
Ahead of the US Open, 25th seed Draper spoke out on the Ohio incident and was very clear on how the feedback impacted him.
“I was thinking about it for 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.”
Now in New York, Draper has now moved on the from the incident and will commence his US Open campaign against Zhang Zhizhen on Tuesday.
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