Jack Draper’s dramatic win over Felix Auger-Aliassime had fans on the edge of their seats, but the victory was a double-edged sword. Auger-Aliassime engaged in a heated exchange with both Draper and the umpire, seeking clarity and justice, but his efforts went in vain as he ultimately lost the match. The contentious conclusion sparked a wave of support for the Canadian, with many tennis fans rallying behind Auger-Aliassime in the aftermath of the intense encounter.

When Auger-Aliassime played Jack Draper in the Round of 16, his Cincinnati Open run came to an abrupt end due to controversy. The Canadian was on the verge of tying the score when Draper won due to a contentious call made by chair umpire Greg Allensworth. Subsequently, Auger-Aliassime could have possibly won the point on match-point when Draper returned a ball that seemed to bounce on his side of the court before crossing the net.

But without instant replay, Allensworth decided in Draper’s favor, igniting a heated controversy. “Did you not see the ball bounce on the court?” In response to Auger-Aliassime’s question, the umpire said, “I did not see that.”

Auger-Aliassime urged the umpire to reevaluate his call as the crowd yelled for a review. Reluctant to take the ruling lying down, he summoned the match supervisor onto the court in an attempt to have more talks, but in vain. However, a few days after the controversy, a lot of tennis fans have come forward to share that take on social media, looking back on the controversial call.

Tennis fans stand with Felix Auger-Aliassime

A tennis fan took to his X account to make a comparison between another tennis player who would have reacted totally differently to this scenario. He wrote, “Absolute gentleman. Imagine Novak or Zverev they wud have screamed and punched the ump by now.” Alexander Zverev was on the verge of his first Grand Slam title when a controversial call in the French Open final derailed his hopes. When Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz battled fiercely, a questionable decision by the chair umpire in the fifth set, overturning an initial double fault call, left Zverev fuming and disputing the ruling, effectively costing him the match.

Another fan highlighted, “John McEnroe would have burned down the stadium. But Felix Auger Aliassime is a Canadian so he only gave them a stern talking to.“ Subsequently, John McEnroe was well-known for his explosive outbursts and confrontations with umpires during his playing days. From cussing to smashing racquets, McEnroe has received fines for almost every violation. In a similar situation, the umpire would have heard a loud and screeching lecture from the ‘Superbrat‘. 

On the other hand, a fan wrote, “Felix was 100% Right.” Auger-Aliassime expressed confidence that the video analysis will show the umpire’s mistake. In fact, a video of the moment does show some discrepancy in the call. “It’s going to look ridiculous,” Alliasime said, certain that the replay would expose the error and confirm his suspicion that the choice had been made incorrectly.

At the same time, a fan shared his stern support and wrote, “Justice for Félix Auger!” Due to the erroneous judgement, Alliasime lost at match point and had his Cincinnati Masters stint ended. A replay could have given him a chance to secure a deuce and attain a come back.

Consequently, even Nick Kyrgios chimed in and deemed it a horrible call, hinting that Draper knew where his shot hit before going over to the Canadian player’s side. Kyrgios wrote, “Mate. Horrible call, but every player knows you know exactly where you hit it hahaha ridiculous stuff.” Another fan echoed his statement with disdain for Draper as they said, “Aliassime spoke with tremendous maturity. Really likeable kid. I’ve meant plenty of c**ts like Jack Draper and can say with absolute certainty that he knew where his shot went. Despise those posh toffs.”

Prior to Alliasime, Greg Allensworth was also in the center of controversy in Taylor Fritz’s match. A shot from his opponent landed out but the point continued as no call was made and Allensworth eventually called a replay of the point, instead of awarding it to Fritz. Following this dispute, Corentin Moutet called on the ATP to address the persistent problems with umpire Greg Allensworth. He said, “This umpire again omg atptour??? What do you need more.”

In the wake of the controversial call that marred his match, Aliassime received an outpouring of support from fans and fellow players alike. Many rallied behind the Canadian, voicing their frustration over the umpire’s decision and many praised Auger-Aliassime for his composure and professionalism. Unfortunately, the decision can’t be reversed and we will see Alliasime in the US Open next.