Novak Djokovic, a legendary figure in tennis with 24 Grand Slam titles to his name, has recently shared his thoughts on a controversial incident at the Cincinnati Masters. Despite his absence from the tournament, Djokovic has been vocal about the need for change in the sport, particularly regarding the use of technology to ensure fair play.
Djokovic, who is currently preparing for the US Open, chose not to participate in the Cincinnati event. However, he closely followed the developments, especially the contentious match between Felix Auger-Aliassime and Jack Draper. The controversy erupted when Draper seemingly hit the ball into the ground on match point before it crossed the net, a detail missed by the umpire, resulting in the point being awarded to Draper. Auger-Aliassime was understandably frustrated, calling the situation "terrible," and received backing from other players.
In light of this incident, Djokovic took to social media to call for the introduction of video replays in tennis. He expressed his dismay, stating, "It's embarrassing that we don't have video replays for these situations on the court. It's even more absurd that there's no rule allowing chair umpires to change the original call based on off-court video reviews! Everyone watching on TV can see the replay, yet the players on the court remain unaware of the outcome. We have Hawkeye for line calls; we're in the technologically advanced 21st century! Please, respective tours, ensure this nonsense never happens again."
Ranked as the world No. 2, Djokovic last played on August 4th, where he triumphed over world No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz in the Paris final, marking his 99th career title. This year, Djokovic boasts a 29-7 match record, having secured a title in Paris and reached the Wimbledon final.
Looking forward, Djokovic is set to compete in the Shanghai Rolex Masters on September 30th and the Rolex Paris Masters on October 28th, as he continues to add to his remarkable career accomplishments.