Jack Draper damaged an electronic advertising board when he smashed his racquet, as he exited the Queen`s tournament.
The British No. 1 aimed to reach the final in West London.
However, he was defeated by Czech player Jiri Lehecka in a tough semi-final match, losing 6-4, 4-6, 7-5. Musician Jon Bon Jovi was reportedly in attendance.
Draper`s frustration peaked after losing his serve at a critical point late in the final set.
The World No. 6, who is set to be seeded fourth at Wimbledon, lost the game point to a superb backhand winner from Lehecka.
As Draper moved towards the back of the Andy Murray Arena court, he vented his frustration.
Appearing mindful of the grass, the British player struck his Dunlop racquet against an electronic advertising board courtside.
Upon impact, the screen – ironically displaying an ad for his sponsor, Dunlop – flickered and went black.
A section of the board also detached.
But the damage wasn`t confined solely to the screen.
Draper`s racquet frame was also broken entirely, sending the shock absorber flying.
He seemed to sustain injuries, checking his hand and limping noticeably towards his chair during the changeover, with blood visible on his knee.
Umpire Adel Nour issued Draper a code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct. He had previously received a time violation warning and avoided penalty for angrily hitting a ball.
BBC Sport commentator Andrew Cotter commented on the visible anger, noting the state of the damaged racquet and potential hand injury. He stated that the umpire, Adel Nour, had no alternative but to issue the violation, acknowledging the significance of the match for Draper.
Using a new racquet, the former US Open semi-finalist was unable to immediately break back. Lehecka then successfully served out the match to secure his spot in the final.
Draper, who earlier shouted obscenities and hit his shoe with his racquet, disclosed he had been dealing with tonsillitis during his semi-final run. He admitted to losing his composure in the high temperatures.
He commented: “I don`t condone that behaviour, but at the same time, that`s where I was at today. I was trying to use everything I could. I tried to compete with every ball. But in the end, anger just spilled over a bit too much.”
“When you`re not feeling great, when your energy is really low, you use everything you can to get yourself up. I`m getting angry to get fired up. When you give everything you have, not just in tennis, you`re playing a bit more on a tightrope.”
“When you try your best and things don`t go your way, it`s easy to spill over. That`s what happened out there.”
“I don`t want to behave like that, in all honesty, but that`s just the way I sort of am as a competitor. Sometimes I just play on a bit of a tightrope.”
However, tennis fans on social media expressed disappointment with Draper`s outburst.
One user commented on striking the court and his knee, labelling the behaviour “psycho”.
Another noted the weak umpiring beforehand and the subsequent damage to the board.
A third predicted a “hefty fine coming for the Brit” after the incident.
A fourth user drew parallels to other athletes` behaviour, stating there is “absolutely no excuse” and highlighting the negative example for children.
And another user found the behaviour “pathetic” and stated they “Can’t stand that sort of behaviour.”
This isn`t the first instance of Draper breaking a racquet recently.
He also broke his racquet during Great Britain`s Davis Cup loss to Canada in November and again at the Italian Open in Rome the previous month.
However, he will be hoping to redirect his focus towards achieving a strong performance at Wimbledon, which begins next Monday.
Wimbledon Ditching Line Judges a Double Fault for British Tennis
By Joshua Jones
THE absence of line judges at Wimbledon will be a sad sight.
For as long as I can remember, the men and women decked out in their Ralph Lauren outfits have been part of the furniture at the All England Club.
Yes, they provided some mild entertainment on the court when one would call “fault” with plenty of extra, and unnecessary, gusto and volume that boomed around Centre Court, prompting a snigger from the fans.
Then there was the ongoing game of dodgeball they had to play when a big serve nailed a mammoth ace down the line and they had to take rapid evasive action or take a whack to the top of the head.
And challenges provided some audience participation, excitedly joining in the clapping countdown before the inevitable “oooh” when the graphic showed just how close the ball was to landing in or out.
Purely objectively, Wimbledon`s decision to replace line judges with Hawk-Eye Live makes total sense.
The accuracy and consistency of calls in real-time will speed things up, save time and should mark the end of arguments over the tight incorrect calls – well, until the technology malfunctions.
And Wimbledon`s hand was somewhat forced to ditch tradition for their standing in tennis.
The Australian Open and US Open already use electronic line calling and the ATP Tour is adopting Hawk-Eye Live across all of its tournaments from 2025.
Wimbledon`s refusal to comply would leave them lagging behind and exposed to the threat of needless controversy over human error.
But the impact – as is so often the case in these decisions – has ramifications further down, below the surface with very little impact on Wimbledon`s Championships or the players.
It is on the line judges themselves.
Approximately 300 officials – aged from 18 to 80 – covered more than 650 matches at Wimbledon.
A fraction travel internationally with the circuit but the vast majority of those are part-time line judges based in the UK, earning up to £180 per day to work at the prestigious tournament and their chance to play their part at Wimbledon.
For many, they will help out at British tournaments throughout the year, spurred on by the possibility of taking to the lawns of the All England Club.
But it is understood many of those officials would be reluctant to work at the lower-level tournaments without the carrot of Wimbledon dangling in the summer.
That in turn will put a major stumbling block in the pathway for British tennis umpires, who grind up through the ranks to reach the pinnacle of the sport.
Like football with referees, tennis needs umpires and line judges.
So the inability to call “out” at Wimbledon could prove to be a major “fault” for the future of the UK`s tennis officials and therefore the state of the sport on these shores.
