‘Embarrassing’: Novak Djokovic Advocates for Video Review in Tennis After Jack Draper Controversy

The ongoing Cincinnati Open had one of the most controversial moments of all time when Jack Draper faced off against Felix Auger-Aliassime. The match ended in a controversial finish after Draper's match-winning volley allegedly touched the ground before going past the net. But the chair umpire deemed it as a fair shit and handed the match win to Draper. It stirred a dispute over social media as Novak Djokovic spoke out on the situation.

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Novak Djokovic Fumes Over Lack of Video Replays After the Jack Draper Controversy at Cincinnati Open

The controversy erupted during the Jack Draper vs Felix Auger-Aliassime match at the Cincinnati Open after Draper's match-winning volley was claimed to hit the ground before it crossed the net. The shot was contested, but due to the unavailability of video replay, Chair umpire Greg Allensworth could not review the moment, resulting in Draper winning the match after receiving the point.

Tennis star Stefanos Tsitsipas shared the match footage on the social media platform 'X' and was surprised to witness such a shot. Novak Djokovic responded to Tsitsipas' tweet and voiced the need for video replays in tennis.

“It’s embarrassing that we don’t have video replay of these kind of situations on the court,” he wrote. “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!

“Everyone who watches TV sees what happened on the replay, yet the players on the court are kept in [the] ‘dark’ not knowing what’s the outcome. We have Hawk-Eye for line calls, we live in the technologically advanced 21st century! Please respective Tours, make sure this nonsense never happens again!” Novak Djokovic tweeted on 'X'.

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Felix Auger-Aliassime was left fuming as he lost the Round of 16 match-up to Jack Draper at the Cincinnati Opemn. He vented his frustration with the umpire, but because of the unavailability of video assistance for replays, nothing could be done. Even Draper was not ready to replay the point and claimed that he did not see it.  

Jack Draper advanced further in the Cincinnati Open with a 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 win over Auger-Aliassime. But the match-up will go down as one of the most controversial moments in modern-day tennis.