Daniil Medvedev delivered one of the best performances of his career against the defending champion, Jack Draper, at the quarterfinals of the ATP Masters 1000 at Indian Wells. The British Champion, who had just defeated the 24-time Grand Slam Champion Novak Djokovic in arguably the best match of the year, could not stand up to the Russian, ending his title defense.
However, something happened during that match that caught the attention of former Australian tennis player John Millman, even upsetting Draper.
Daniil Medvedev’s Indian Wells Video Review Against Jack Draper Catches John Millman’s Attention
The video review was added across all ATP Masters 1000 events last year and is a relatively new tool in tennis. It was supposed to help chair umpires reassess incidents such as foul shots, hindrances, scoring errors, and potential defaults.
At Indian Wells, protocols allow players to request a review immediately after a point is completed to check whether something occurred during it. The umpire can watch replays from multiple angles and can overturn the original decision if the video provides compelling evidence. However, with the addition of this technology, intended to assist players and umpires, a grey area emerged.
This caught the attention of former Australian pro Millman, who took to X to argue that “The Video Review has resulted in way too many hindrance calls.. ATP/WTA have to clean it up.”
The most notable incident came during Medvedev’s quarterfinal clash against Draper at the 2026 Indian Wells. After having won the first set 6-1, with the second set tied at 5-5 and Medvedev leading 0-15 on serve, Draper raised his arms just after sending a deep ball back, reacting to how close it landed to the baseline.
Play continued for a few more shots until Medvedev hit the net, but instead of accepting the point, he immediately called for a video review, claiming the arm gesture distracted him.
MORE: Daniil Medvedev Rejects ‘Cheating’ Narrative After What He Did Against Jack Draper at Indian Wells
Replays showed Draper’s arms coming up mid-point, and after reviewing the case, the umpire ruled that the gesture amounted to a hindrance. The scoreline should have been 6-1, 5-5 (15-all), but due to this call, it became 6-1, 5-5 (30-0), prompting loud boos around Stadium 1.
Draper told the umpire there was “no way it distracted him enough” and repeated at the net that Medvedev had won the match “fair and square” but that the gesture should not have been decisive, while Medvedev admitted, “I don’t feel great about it.”
Novak Djokovic’s Hindrance Call Against Arthur Rinderknech
A similar debate flared in doubles when Novak Djokovic and Stefanos Tsitsipas faced Arthur Rinderknech and Valentin Vacherot in the second round at Indian Wells. At 2-2 in the opening set, Tsitsipas lined up a passing shot when Rinderknech, well away from the ball, suddenly whipped his racquet through the air, a move that seemed to catch the Greek’s eye and contributed to his miss.
Djokovic immediately stopped and appealed for a video review, arguing that the move was a deliberate distraction. After slow-motion replays, the umpire told the crowd that Rinderknech’s racquet movement was interpreted as a hindrance and awarded the point to Djokovic and Tsitsipas. It didn’t affect the outcome much, as the cousins went on to win anyway, 7-6(4), 7-5.
Medvedev is now in the semifinals at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden for the fourth consecutive year, and following his two runner-up finishes in 2023 and 2024, he would be looking forward to lifting the title this year. He is already in great form, having won the Brisbane International and the Dubai Tennis Championships this year.
He is set to face the 2023 and 2024 Indian Wells Champion, World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, in the semifinals on Saturday, March 14, with only an 18% chance against the unbeaten Spaniard, according to PFSN’s exclusive interactive simulator.
