Jack Draper suffered an unfortunate exit from the 2026 ATP Masters 1000 tournament at Indian Wells after losing to Daniil Medvedev in the quarterfinals. This match not only ended the British champion’s title defense campaign but also raised eyebrows in the tennis community over the relatively new tool, the video review.
Following his loss, Draper talked about the situation, expressing his thoughts on the defeat and Medvedev’s use of the technology.
Jack Draper Reflects on Indian Wells Quarterfinal Loss and Controversial Hindrance Call
Medvedev defeated Draper 6-1, 7-5 in the quarterfinals of the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden on Thursday, March 12. Both players were in great form following a magnificent fortnight at the Tennis Paradise, and the Briton had overcome 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic in the previous round, making a statement.
However, the fourth-round match against the Serbian legend, arguably the best match of the year so far, drained the defending champion, leaving his hands slightly out of the match. The World No. 11 capitalized on this, stunning Draper and securing his spot in the final four of the tournament for the fourth consecutive year.
But what happened during the match raised many questions, as Medvedev used video review after losing a point in the 11th game of the second set.
After reviewing the footage, the chair umpire awarded the point to Medvedev and took it from Draper, putting the defending champion in a 0-30 hole in that game. During an interview with the BBC, the 2025 champion expressed his thoughts on the situation, saying,
“If someone was to say that I was going to be here in the quarter-finals after what I’ve been through the last nine months – only myself, and my family and my team know how much it affected me – that was enough for me.”
He then talked about how his match against Djokovic just one day before drained him, stating, “Today I ran out of steam, and I wasn’t able to compete again a day later with one of the best players in the world, and that’s just totally normal.” He acknowledged the level of the Russian, giving him credit for his elite-level performance. “First of all, Daniil was the stronger player, fair and square,” Draper said.
The Briton mentioned that the chair umpire is always in a difficult position in such scenarios, saying, “It’s a difficult situation for the ref. I don’t think I did enough to hinder him, but at the end of the day, I did make a slight thing with my hands.” As he stated during the review and after the match at the net, he wasn’t happy with Medvedev’s call, claiming his actions didn’t distract him enough.
“On one hand, I get it, but on the other, I don’t think it was enough to distract Daniil. If he had missed the next ball and it was very clear that I had hindered him, then I would get it,” the Briton said on losing the point.
He also added that Medvedev capitalized on the rules that allow players to call for a review whenever they feel their opponent caused a hindrance during the volley. “I think he’s played the rules quite well. The rally carried on and I was able to win the point so I don’t think I should have lost the point. I think it’s pretty harsh,” he concluded.
Video Review Controversy Grows as Hindrance Calls Spark Debate in Tennis
Another such incident occurred in the doubles match between Novak Djokovic and Stefanos Tsitsipas and Arthur Rinderknech and Valentin Vacherot at Indian Wells. In the match, Rinderknech raised his racket in the air as Tsitsipas prepared to hit a smash. This move seemingly caught the Greeks’ eye and distracted them, causing them to miss the shot entirely.
Djokovic immediately called for a review, and after reviewing the footage, the chair umpire announced that it was a deliberate distraction and awarded the point to the Greek-Serbian duo. Even though it didn’t affect the match result, the cousins prevailed, 7-6(4), 7-5.
Former Australian pro John Millman took to X to express his thoughts about the increasing number of such scenarios, writing, “The Video Review has resulted in way too many hindrance calls.. ATP/WTA have to clean it up.”
After being out for most of 2025 and missing the 2026 Australian Open, Draper’s comeback performance in Indian Wells showed glimpses of his championship potential. If he manages to stay healthy and maintain this momentum, it would be interesting to see where he lands on the ATP Rankings at the end of this year and how many titles he lifts on the way.
Medvedev is now in the semifinals, where he will face the unbeaten World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, who defeated the Russian in the 2023 and 2024 championship matches to become a two-time champion at the venue. According to PFSN’s exclusive interactive simulator, Medvedev has about an 18% chance of reaching the final.
