Jack Draper’s Indian Wells title defense ended in controversial fashion as he lost to Daniil Medvedev in the quarter-finals, reigniting the debate surrounding tennis’ handicap rules.
The decisive moment came at 5-5. After falling behind 0-15 in the second set, Draper had already taken the first set. The British No. 1 needed to fight back to deny Medvedev the opportunity to serve and leveled the match after his opponent’s backhand hit the net, but Medvedev appealed to referee O’Reilly Toth, claiming there had been an obstruction.
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Medvedev took issue with Draper raising his arm in a controversial call midway through the match, and after a video review, Tolt believed Draper had distracted his opponent and awarded the crucial point to Medvedev to break serve.
California fans made their feelings clear, booing at the end of the match after Medvedev’s victory. The two players chatted at length as they shook hands at the net, with Medvedev saying: “I’m sorry if you’re angry with me,” to which Draper responded: “I’m not at all – but I don’t think it’s enough to distract you”.
It’s the latest instance of controversy surrounding the Obstruction Rule – but why is it in the game and what’s its origins? Here’s everything you need to know.
What’s the point of the handicap rule?
The obstruction rule in tennis is intended to prevent a player from affecting an opponent’s shot.
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It may also involve the line umpire making an incorrect call (i.e. yelling “out” when the ball actually went in), which would result in a replay of the point unless “it was a clear ace or a clear winning shot that the player could not have recovered”. But we will focus on “unintentional or intentional” impairments, as stated in Article 7.22(F) of the ATP Tour 2026 Rulebook.
What constitutes an “unintentional or intentional” impediment?
When an obstruction occurs, it may be ruled unintentional or intentional. This will influence the referee’s course of action – potentially resulting in the game being replayed or awarded to the opponent.
Unintentional interference can be related to anything that happens unintentionally. This includes, but is not limited to, the ball falling out of a player’s pocket, a hat falling off, or a player making an involuntary sound or exclamation, such as a verbal exclamation of injury. According to the rule book, these unintentional infractions will result in a handicap (the point is replayed) and a warning, with the referee advising the player that repeating the incident will result in a loss of points.
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Intentional obstruction, on the other hand, can result in points being lost without warning. The ATP said that such an attack would be considered intentional only if “a player intentionally does something to cause obstruction or distraction.” Violations include shouting or talking loudly during play and waving your arms in a manner considered distracting to an opponent, as Draper did.
Jack Draper was seen waving his arms in a distracting manner towards Daniil Medvedev (Image via Reuters Connect)
famous examples
Because decision-making is often subjective, calls for intentional obstruction are often controversial, which can lead to key points being obtained in opposite ways—as Draper just experienced firsthand.
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World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka received special attention after she let out her trademark grunt during her 2026 Australian Open semi-final match against Elina Svitolina. The ball actually went in, but referee Luis Engelzel felt the extra noise hampered Svitolina as she prepared to return the ball. Sabalenka protested, briefly but without meaning.
Aryna Sabalenka meets Elina Svitolina in Australian Open semi-finals (Getty)
Medvedev was the beneficiary of Draper’s refereeing row at Indian Wells and was himself at the center of hindering drama in a viral moment at the 2021 Toronto Open.
During a match against Alexander Bublik, Medvedev accidentally hit the Kazakh player directly with a spike near the net. Bublik somehow blocked the ball with his racket, but it circled harmlessly back into the net, and with Bublik behind him, Medvedev’s task was simple, to hit the ball into the open court and win a point. But in tennis, silence is golden, and while the ball was still in the air, Medvedev loudly said “I’m sorry,” and the referee deemed it an obstacle and awarded Bublik a point.
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“Can you imagine how stupid this call was?” Medvedev said online. “He’s laughing at you [the umpire]! It’s incredible what you do! “
Meanwhile, inadvertent obstructions rarely spark the same level of outrage as they are often ignored by referees, but that hasn’t stopped Dan Evans from calling for tennis’s “worst rules” to be changed after beating Jeremy Chardy at the 2023 Australian Open.
Chardy, who lost in the second round, was furious after the ball fell out of Evans’ pocket, which by regulation should have resulted in a replay – but referee Miriam Bligh did not realize what had happened until moments after the Frenchman’s goal.
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A furious Chardy accused the referee of lying, but Evans later argued that it was the rule, not the incident, that should be under review. “If the ball comes out of your pocket, it’s your own fault,” he said.
