Jack Draper’s quest to defend his Indian Wells Open crown ended in the quarterfinal round, where he fell to No. 11 seed Daniil Medvedev. In the aftermath, Draper’s coach, Jamie Delgado, weighed in on whether his player could reclaim a Top 10 spot by the French Open and offered his perspective on the controversial hindrance call that went in Medvedev’s favor.
Jack Draper’s Indian Wells Run Ends vs Daniil Medvedev in Controversial Finish
Draper commenced his 2026 season after being sidelined by a left arm injury since the 2025 US Open and then stepped onto the Indian Wells courts as the 14th seed, eager to make his mark. In his campaign to defend his title, he defeated Roberto Bautista Agut in the Round of 64, then surpassed Francisco Cerundolo in the round of 32 in straight sets.
In the round of 16, he overcame the Serbian legend, Novak Djokovic, losing the first set and then securing the last two with a final scoreline of 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(5). The Briton delivered a commanding victory, dazzling with sharp defensive skills and an impressive ability to engage with Djokovic in long rallies.
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However, Draper couldn’t get past Medvedev in the quarterfinals, losing 6-1, 7-5. Nonetheless, his performance since returning from the injury impressed all, as his coach, Jamie Delgado, was recently asked whether Draper could return to the Top 10 by the French Open.
To which he added, “Tbh not thinking about that at all….Good to be back and trying to get bit better each day and closer to where want to be 💪.”
Delgado also shared his thoughts on the hindrance call, as Draper had raised his arms during the second set of their rally, Medvedev hit the ball into the net, and then asked umpire Aurelie Tourte for a video review to check whether Draper hindered the play.
After the review, the umpire shared, “Mr. Draper made a gesture with his hand which is different than in a normal point. Therefore this is considered a hindrance,” taking Medvedev’s side. To which Draper objected, “But I think you’ve got that wrong because I didn’t go like that,” and Tourte replied, “I think you made something different. That’s all I can see when I watch it.”
Considering the moment, Delgado shared through his Instagram story, “Was the wrong decision but it’s all good…Danil deserved to win yesterday regardless 👍.”
Coming into his court action, Draper is all set to compete in the Miami Open, scheduled from March 15 to 29, 2026, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
