By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Saturday, June 21, 2025
Photograph credit score: Julian Finney/Getty
Jack Draper’s display play precipitated painful Queen’s Membership climax.
The British No. 1 smashed his racquet in opposition to the court-side display—breaking his Dunlop racquet and bloodying his knee within the course of—throughout his 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 Queen’s Membership semifinal loss to Jiri Lehecka right this moment.
Draper dropped serve to fall behind 5-6 within the decider then unleashed his interior David Nalbandian smashing his Dunlop stick off the court-side advert display.
The rampage wrecked his racquet turned the purple display black and left Draper tending to a bloody proper knee on the changeover. Draper, who belted a ball out of Andy Murray Area in anger earlier within the match, incurred a code violation warning for his Jack Assault on the signage.
Afterward, Draper revealed he has been battling tonsillitis and mentioned his feelings erupted.
“Whenever you’re not feeling nice, when your power is basically low, you utilize all the things you may to get your self up,” Draper advised the media at Queen’s Membership. “I am nearly getting indignant to get fired up. Whenever you do this, while you give all the things you’ve gotten, not simply in tennis, like in something, you are clearly a bit much less mellow and taking part in a bit extra on a tightrope.
“So while you attempt your greatest and issues do not go your manner, it is simple to spill over. That is what occurred on the market.
“Like I mentioned, I do not wish to behave like that, in all honesty, however that is simply the best way I form of am as a competitor. Typically I simply play on a little bit of a tightrope. I do not wish to be behaving like that, yeah.”
The Indian Wells champion mentioned he is been depleted battling tonsillitis.
“It had been creating over the week. I’ve been attempting to get better and stuff, however the physique, when you’ve gotten one thing like that, does not actually wish to play 2 hour 20 matches within the warmth,” Draper mentioned of his sickness. “, it is in all probability not good for you, so you are not going to really feel higher.
“I imply, right this moment’s in all probability the worst I’ve felt. Did I take into consideration withdrawing? No, by no means. I am within the semifinals at Queen’s. I would in all probability go on court docket with a damaged leg.
“I would not have pulled out for something. So I went on the market, gave all I had, and I might be very happy with that. And likewise, it is not an excuse. It is simply the best way I really feel, you understand. I believe I misplaced right this moment as a result of I misplaced to a greater tennis participant. He was higher than me in the important thing moments. He served higher. I believe he was a bit braver at instances.”
Jiri let’s our a BIG roar on match level 🗣️#HSBCChampionships https://t.co/prTFSFmWBr pic.twitter.com/o6lryE2Fru
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) June 21, 2025
World No. 30 Lehecka is the primary Czech man to achieve a tour-level ultimate on garden since Tomas Berdych swept Novak Djokovic to achieve the 2010 Wimbledon ultimate. Lehecka is the primary Czech since Ivan Lendl in 1990 to achieve the Queen’s Membership ultimate. Lehecka will face both two-time Wimbledon winner Carlos Alcaraz or Roberto Bautista Agut in tomorrow’s title match.
#Unwell #Draper #Assaults #Display #Loss #Lehecka
