"Unfortunate ending…Hope we find a more objective way going forward" - Felix Auger-Aliassime on controversial Cincinnati Open 3R loss

Felix Auger-Aliassime has opened up about his controversial Cincinnati Open third-round loss to Jack Draper. The 24-year-old described his exit as unfortunate and added that such situations should be handled more objectively.

Draper’s 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 victory over the Canadian on Saturday ended controversially when his match point shot appeared to hit the ground before striking the net cord and dropping over. This led to a heated exchange involving both players, umpire Gregory Allensworth, and tournament officials. The match has shocked the tennis world, with many calling it the most controversial in Cincinnati Open history.

On Sunday, Auger-Aliassime addressed the incident on X (formerly Twitter), to address his displeasure and state that such situations should be handled more objectively in the future. He also mentioned being encouraged by the level of his play during the week and focusing on his preparations for the US Open.

"Unfortunate ending of my tournament here in Cincinnati but I hope we find a way to deal with these situations in a more objective way going forward. That being said, I’m still encouraged by the level I played this week leading into the last Grand Slam of the year. Time to move on and focus on my preparation for the US Open. See you in NY" - Felix Auger-Aliassime said

This edition of the US Open will mark Felix Auger-Aliassime's sixth appearance in the tournament. His best performance came in 2021 when he reached the semifinals but lost to eventual winner Daniil Medvedev. In last season's edition, the 24-year-old suffered a first-round exit at the hands of Mackenzie McDonald.

The controversial call by the umpire in the Felix Auger-Aliassime vs. Jack Draper match also didn’t sit well with Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic - Source: Getty

24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic also shared his thoughts on the controversial call made by umpire Gregory Allensworth during the third-round match between Felix Auger-Aliassime and Jack Draper at the 2024 Cincinnati Open.

Djokovic expressed frustration over the lack of video replay for on-court situations and criticized the absence of a rule allowing umpires to change calls based on off-court reviews. He tweeted on X (formerly Twitter):

“It’s embarrassing that we don’t have video replay of these kind of situations on the court. What’s even more ridiculous is that we don’t have the rule in place that would allow chair umpires to change the original call based on the video review that happens off the court! Everyone who watches TV sees what happened on the replay, yet the players on the court are kept in “dark” not knowing what’s the outcome.

We have Hawkeye for line calls, we live in the technologically advanced 21st century! Please respective Tours, make sure this nonsense never happens again!“

Djokovic won the Cincinnati Open in 2023 but did not compete in this year's edition due to a scheduling change. His last tournament was the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, where he clinched gold. He is likely to participate next at the US Open, where he will be defending his title.