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 now.
Draper dropped serve to fall behind 5-6 within the decider then unleashed his inside David Nalbandian smashing his Dunlop stick off the court-side advert display.
The rampage wrecked his racquet turned the pink display black and left Draper tending to a bloody proper knee on the changeover. Draper, who belted a ball out of Andy Murray Enviornment 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.
“While you’re not feeling nice, when your vitality is admittedly low, you employ all the things you possibly can to get your self up,” Draper informed the media at Queen’s Membership. “I am nearly getting offended to get fired up. While you do this, while you give all the things you will have, 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 finest and issues do not go your means, 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 way in which 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 well and stuff, however the physique, when you will have one thing like that, would not actually wish to play 2 hour 20 matches within the warmth,” Draper mentioned of his sickness. “You realize, it is most likely not good for you, so you are not going to really feel higher.
“I imply, right now’s most likely the worst I’ve felt. Did I take into consideration withdrawing? No, by no means. I am within the semifinals at Queen’s. I might most likely go on courtroom with a damaged leg.
“I would not have pulled out for something. So I went on the market, gave all I had, and I may be very pleased with that. And in addition, it is not an excuse. It is simply the way in which I really feel, you recognize. I feel I misplaced right now 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 feel he was a bit braver at occasions.”
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 closing on garden since Tomas Berdych swept Novak Djokovic to achieve the 2010 Wimbledon closing. Lehecka is the primary Czech since Ivan Lendl in 1990 to achieve the Queen’s Membership closing. Lehecka will face both two-time Wimbledon winner Carlos Alcaraz or Roberto Bautista Agut in tomorrow’s title match.
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