Difficult to have integrity questioned - Draper on ball-bounce controversy

British number 1 Jack Draper says he had a "difficult" clip aft having his integrity questioned pursuing past week's Cincinnati Open.

The 22-year-old hit Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime in arguable circumstances erstwhile nan umpire grounded to spot nan shot hitting nan level arsenic Draper struck it.

Replays appeared to backmost up Auger-Aliassime's statement that nan shot had deed nan framework of Draper's racket and past nan level connected lucifer constituent - but location was nary replay exertion disposable astatine nan event.

Draper insisted he had not seen it hap and "would person 100% replayed nan point" had it been called.

Speaking to BBC Sport earlier nan US Open originates connected Monday, Draper admitted nan disapproval he faced had been hard.

"It's slow moving on," he said. "It was difficult for 4 aliases 5 days afterwards - it was nan first clip I've knowledgeable disapproval and [had] my integrity questioned arsenic an athlete.

"For maine it's 1 of nan astir important things to beryllium honest, do nan correct thing, beryllium a bully personification - much than conscionable a bully tennis player."

The world number 25, who faces China's Zhang Zhizhen successful nan first information successful New York, said disapproval from different players was harder to woody with.

"It's state of reside astatine nan extremity of nan day, group tin person their sentiment and tin opportunity what they consciousness and think," he said.

"Do I needfully work together pinch what they're saying? No, because I was successful nan business and I cognize my truth and that's that I didn't know.

"But evidently you person to respect that - it's each portion of being a awesome player, group are going to mobility you and I don't blasted them for that because erstwhile we saw nan replay, it was intelligibly an forbidden shot.

"It is difficult seeing that disapproval but being a apical jock you are going to beryllium taxable to definite situations wherever you are going to person criticism."

Auger-Aliassime said astatine magnitude pinch nan umpire during nan match, arguing nan constituent should person been his, earlier yet conceding defeat.

Draper said nan business had been "very difficult for Felix arsenic well".

"I thought he handled it pinch awesome maturity and complete class," Draper said.

"It would person been easy for him to alert disconnected nan hook and consciousness highly difficult done by, which he was astatine nan extremity of nan day, looking backmost astatine nan slo-mo - it was an forbidden changeable successful a large constituent successful nan match, evidently being lucifer point.

"I cognize my truth and that's that successful that situation, I really did not cognize successful that infinitesimal what had happened."

Video replays are not disposable astatine each ATP aliases WTA Tour event.

Novak Djokovic was 1 of a number of players to telephone for much exertion successful tennis aft nan incident, saying it is "embarrassing" that location is nary video exertion successful nan sport.

The US Open was nan first of nan 4 fields to utilized a video reappraisal strategy - and it will beryllium expanded this twelvemonth to screen much courts.

The strategy was introduced successful 2023 to let chair umpires to beryllium capable to instantly cheque incidents - double bounces, hindrance and a subordinate rubbing nan shot aliases nan nett - if they are challenged by a player.

"I deliberation it was difficult for everyone connected tribunal that day, but I deliberation it's besides a valuable instruction for me," Draper added.

"The ATP, I think, really must put their ft down and effort and fig retired a solution to these problems because it's not conscionable that situation.

"This benignant of worldly happens each nan clip and nan ATP tin thief that."

Automated physics statement calling (ELC) will beryllium introduced astatine each ATP event, external from adjacent year, but that does not ever spot errors.

The strategy grounded to telephone a shot retired during Taylor Fritz's lucifer successful Cincinnati earlier successful nan week.

Fritz and force Brandon Nakashima yet replayed nan point, alternatively than it being awarded to Fritz.

Fritz tweeted afterwards: "Imagine telling maine I needed to extremity nan constituent erstwhile we person literal Hawkeye physics statement calling".

Draper is successful New York without coach Wayne Ferreira, pinch nan 2 having divided earlier this month.

Ferreira worked alongside James Trotman pinch Draper and helped nan Briton lift his first ATP Tour title successful June.

However, "overthinker" Draper said he wanted to revert backmost to having 1 coach.

"I had each volition of wanting Wayne to beryllium successful my squad long-term," he said.

"In my ain head, I'm an overthinker, I for illustration to support things elemental arsenic overmuch arsenic possible.

"I felt for illustration I wanted to support it to 1 voice."