Jack Draper admits making 'illegal shot' that sparked controversy and call for rule change
Jack Draper caused controversy just before the US Open.
Jack Draper has admitted he hit an ‘illegal shot’ and the controversial point he won against Felix Auger-Aliassime should have been replayed. The British No. 1 says he has been affected by the strong opinion in the aftermath of his victory over the Swiss player.
Replays showed Draper missed a volley, shanking his shot off the side of his racket and onto the floor - with the ball bouncing over the net. However, the 22-year-old claimed without the benefit of a replay that he was unsure whether the ball had bounced before dropping over the net.
Hugely contentiously, Draper was awarded the point by umpire Greg Allensworth. Aliassime argued against the decision but to no avail, and was ultimately beaten.
But Draper has now conceded in an interview with the BBC: "When we saw the replay, it was clearly an illegal shot.”
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For Draper, who has revealed he struggled to sleep in the days after the match, it was his first major controversy and the fall-out was difficult to comprehend. He says he understands the criticism but maintains he was unsure if the ball had bounced before going over the net.
"It was difficult for four or five days afterwards," Draper added. "It's slowly moving on - it was the first time I've experienced criticism and [had] my integrity questioned as an athlete.
"It's freedom of speech at the end of the day, people can have their opinion and can say what they feel and think. It is difficult seeing that criticism but being a top athlete you are going to be subject to certain situations where you are going to receive criticism."
The incident sparked debate among some of tennis’s biggest names. Many have called for the widespread introduction of video replays, which will once again be trialled on selected courts at the US Open.
Asked about the possibility of video replays being used throughout tennis, Aryna Sabalenka said: "I think a lot of players want it to happen, within reason, obviously. You can’t, you know, question every single thing but I was watching the Olympics, I saw volleyball had it, a lot of sports have it.
"I feel like tennis, with being such a global sport with such a big fanbase, I think the fans and players would appreciate it. Hopefully we can continue that on to more tournaments."
