A “distracting” hand gesture that resulted in a point loss was all it took for Jack Draper to lose his momentum in his run toward the Indian Wells finals. That moment proved enough for Daniil Medvedev to seize the lead and go on to win the match. Still, the Brit feels the gesture could have been assessed in a much better context.

“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. On one hand, I get it, but on the other, I don’t think it was enough to distract Daniil,” Draper said.

The British star was completely outplayed by the Russian in the first set, losing 6-1, but made a comeback in the second. The moment occurred late in the second set at 5-5, 0-15, when Briton was serving to hold. 

During a rally, Daniil Medvedev hit a shot that Jack Draper thought was out, briefly raising his arms before continuing the point. After seven more shots, Draper won the rally as the Russian’s backhand found the net.

Medvedev immediately challenged the point, arguing hindrance and asking chair umpire Aurélie Tourte for a video review. The decision was overturned, awarding the point to him. Draper eventually fell 6-1, 7-5, and later reflected on the incident and his performance in a tense post-match press conference.

“If he had missed the next ball and it was very clear that I had hindered him, then I would get it. 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 added. 

Although Draper did not agree with the decision, he did not shy away from giving credit to Medvedev for being a better player. The Russian had apologised after the match at the net, and even then, his sentiment was the same. 

Medvedev said: “If you’re mad at me, I’m sorry,” to which Draper replied: “I’m not at all – but I don’t think it distracted you enough.”

The decision had come at a very crucial juncture of the match. Draper just seemed to peak at that moment, but this clearly upset him. He even argued with the umpire, but the decision was called in favor of the 11th seed. While arguing with the umpire, Tourte replied:

“You did something different in the rally than you would normally do.”

Coming back after a long injury, the former world No. 4 had a stunning match in the previous round. He defeated the 24-time Grand Slam Champion, Novak Djokovic, in a three-set thriller. After that match, people thought Jack Draper was back to his winning ways, until he was stopped by the Russian juggernaut. 

After a long slump in form, the 2021 US Open champion is giving strong performances on the tour. He will be facing No.1 seed Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals on Saturday, March 14. Before that, let’s hear what Medvedev had to say on the whole incident. 

Daniil Medvedev on the hindrance call in the quarterfinal match

Indian Wells has been a successful tournament for the Russian. Since 2023, Medvedev has made it to the last four every single time. He even reached two consecutive finals in 2023 and 2024, losing to Alcaraz on both occasions. 

The former world No. 1 is known for having a temper. But this time, his argument came at the right moment. While he was not proud of being awarded the point, he did not feel guilty for wrongdoing.

“Was I distracted big time? No. Was I distracted a bit? Yes. Is it enough to win the point? I don’t know. If you look on the first forehand I do after it happened, I think I could have done a better shot if there was no gesture from Jack. Do I feel good about it? Not really, but I also don’t feel like I cheated. I let the referee decide.”

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From Draper’s perspective, even if there was a hindrance that was seven shots before. But as Medvedev explained, that gesture disturbed him enough to not be able to make a perfect shot. Even though it may appear that it was a harsh call, at the end of the day, there was a hindrance. And according to the rule book, the point should be awarded to the opponent. 

2026 has treated Medvedev much better than the last two years. He started the year by winning a title in Brisbane. The 30-year-old had a decent run at the Australian Open, reaching the fourth round before losing to Learner Tien in straight sets. He redeemed himself in Dubai by winning the second title of the year. Now, he is in his fourth consecutive semifinal at the Californian Gardens.