WTA star questions hindrance review decision during Indian Wells clash

Jessica Pegula has criticised a recently introduced tennis rule involving Jack Draper at Indian Wells, calling aspects of it “kind of stupid.”

The incident occurred during Draper’s quarter-final loss to Daniil Medvedev, when the Brit was penalised for hindrance despite winning the point after a prolonged rally — a decision that sparked confusion among players and fans alike.

Pegula questions hindrance review after Draper decision

Speaking on The Player’s Box Podcast, Pegula expressed her frustration with how the rule was applied.

“It’s a new rule that’s changed this year,” she said. “I think it’s kind of stupid to be able to go back and challenge something like that.”

While she acknowledged that video review can be useful in certain scenarios, Pegula argued that hindrance decisions should not be revisited after a point has continued.

“I like it for double bounces — that makes sense,” she explained. “But for hindrance, it’s weird that you can lose the point five or six shots later and then go back and change it.”

Pegula also defended Medvedev’s role in the situation, adding: “I don’t blame Daniil. I just think it’s a bad rule. The whole exchange was strange — it didn’t feel like a great call.”

Debate grows as Draper turns focus to Miami Open

Madison Keys, Pegula’s co-host, offered a slightly different perspective, suggesting the issue lay more with the umpire’s interpretation than the rule itself.

“I don’t have a problem with video review,” Keys said. “But I think the chair made a bad call. If it was truly hindrance, he wouldn’t have been able to continue the rally for multiple shots.”

Draper argued his case during the match but was unsuccessful, losing not only the disputed point but also the set — and ultimately the match — as he failed to defend his Indian Wells title.

Now shifting his focus to the Miami Open, Draper will be looking to bounce back quickly. The 24-year-old begins his campaign in the second round, where he is set to face either Nuno Borges or Reilly Opelka.

A potential third-round clash with Taylor Fritz looms, while a deeper run could see him meet top seed Carlos Alcaraz — underlining the challenge ahead as he looks to regroup after the controversy in California.

Read more: