From Novak Djokovic to Chris Evert: How the tennis world has reacted to Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Jack Draper controversy at Cincinnati Open
Novak Djokovic and Chris Evert are among several people in the tennis fraternity who have given their opinions on the recent controversy during the third-round match between Felix Auger-Aliassime and Jack Draper at the Cincinnati Open.
The match saw Draper come back from a set down and win 5-7, 6-4, 6-4. However, there was a moment of controversy on match point, as Draper attempted a volley and chair umpire Greg Allensworth ruled that the shot was fair and the ball did not double bounce, thus awarding the point to the Brit.
However, Felix Auger-Aliassime protested that the ball bounced on Draper's side of the net before falling on the other side.
"Did you not see the ball bounce on the floor? He shanked it on the floor. What do you mean?" the Canadian asked the chair umpire.
"You're going to get out now and it's going to be everywhere. I'm serious. It's going to look ridiculous. It's gonna be crazy. And I know it's not his place to make that call, it's a match win for him, but it's your place to make that call," he added.
However, Auger-Aliassime's appeals were futile as no video replay was available and Draper was awarded the point, and in turn, the match. Slow-motion replays of the shot have subsequently been shared on social media, which show the ball deflected off the Brit's racket onto the floor before reaching the other side of the court.
A lot of prominent figures in the tennis community have shared their thoughts on the controversy, expressing criticism towards Greg Allensworth's decision. On that note, let's take a look at the tennis personalities who have commented on the situation.
#5 Nick Kyrgios
Nick Kyrgios criticized the chair umpire's call, calling it "horrible." He also termed the situation "ridiculous."
"Mate. Horrible call, but every player knows you know exactly where you hit it hahaha ridiculous stuff," the Aussie said.
Kyrgios is yet to play a match since June 2023, but he has been present at different tennis tournaments as a commentator. The Aussie's prolonged absence from the ATP Tour has seen him fall out of the top 100 of the rankings.
#4 Sloane Stephens
Former US Open champion Sloane Stephens was also critical of Greg Allensworth and inquired about the consequences a chair umpire might face for decisions of that sort.
"Serious question: What consequences does the chair umpire face? This is 2 incidents in 2 tournaments for the same umpire. Does he go on probation? No year end bonus? Can’t work the next grand slam? Fine? I’m genuinely curious," the American wrote on X.
Sloane Stephens is not competing at the Cincinnati Open. Her last tour-level event was the Canadian Open, where she lost in the opening round of the singles tournament and in the second round of the doubles competition.
#3 Andy Roddick
Former World No. 1 Andy Roddick was also critical of the umpire's decision but he also seemed to take a dig at Jack Draper.
"I feel like every time I’ve ever shanked a ball straight into the ground, I’ve known that I shanked it straight into the ground," the American wrote on X.
Commenting further on the decision, Roddick said:
"Also if you have the tech, just get the call right. Takes longer to argue about it."
#2 Chris Evert
Chris Evert took to X to voice her views regarding the controversial match point between Jack Draper and Felix Auger-Aliassime. The 18-time Grand Slam singles champion echoed journalist Jon Wertheim's take on the lack of a video review system and spoke about the importance of the match's situation when the call was taken.
"Ugh, and such a crucial point in this match," the 69-year-old wrote on X.
Evert has been pretty active on social media lately, speaking about other incidents taking place at the Cincinnati Open, including Iga Swiatek's recent complaints on the WTA Tour's scheduling.
#1 Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic was very vocal about his criticism over the match point at the Cincinnati Open clash between Felix Auger-Aliassime and Jack Draper. Djokovic said that the lack of video evidence for situations like these was "embarrassing". He also called for a rule that would help umpires change their calls on the basis of video reviews.
"It’s embarrassing that we don’t have video replay of these kind of situations on the court. What’s even more ridiculous is that we don’t have the rule in place that would allow chair umpires to change the original call based on the video review that happens off the court," Djokovic said.
"Everyone who watches TV sees what happened on the replay, yet the players on the court are kept in “dark” not knowing what’s the outcome. We have Hawkeye for line calls, we live in the technologically advanced 21st century! Please respective Tours, make sure this nonsense never happens again," Djokovic added.
Djokovic is not competing at the Cincinnati Open, just like he missed the Canadian Open. He is scheduled to compete at the US Open, which will be his first hard-court tournament since March.
Other people from the tennis fraternity who commented on the Cincinnati Open controversy included Feliciano Lopez, Denis Shapovalov and Stefanos Tsitsipas, the last of whom shared a slow-motion replay of Draper's volley with a caption reading:
"I don't think I have ever seen a shot like this."
Former doubles World No. 1 Paul McNamee spoke about the introduction of replays, citing Novak Djokovic's US Open default in 2020 after hitting a lineswoman. The Aussie said that had replays been used back then, it would have been clear that Djokovic meant no malice when he hit the shot.
"Given the Draper-FAA shocker, why not allow replays in match defining points? Another example was the default of Djokovic at the US Open…if the supervisor had watched a replay he would have seen it was not egregious or in malice… it was not an automatic default as many believe," McNamee said.
The Cincinnati Open is in its final stages, with Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, Paula Badosa and Jessica Pegula reaching the women's singles semifinals. The semifinalists in the men's singles event are Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, Frances Tiafoe and Holger Rune.