According to Sabalenka, competitors ought to halt play instantly and request a video assessment for interference, in the wake of Daniil Medvedev’s disagreement with Jack Draper during their quarter-final match.
The British player, Draper, received a contentious penalty for hindrance, a decision that led to some spectators booing the Russian player, Medvedev.
During the first set, with the score tied at 5-5, Draper momentarily extended his arms widely mid-rally, indicating his belief that Medvedev’s forehand shot had landed out of bounds.
The exchange persisted for seven additional strokes until Medvedev struck a backhand into the net.
Medvedev, a two-time finalist at Indian Wells, subsequently requested umpire Aurelie Tourte to conduct a video review to determine if Draper had committed hindrance—defined as performing an action or making a sound intended to disrupt an adversary.
Having reviewed the replay multiple times on her device, Tourte informed Draper that her decision was against him because “you did something different in the rally than you would normally do,” consequently awarding the point to Medvedev.
