Aryna Sabalenka Shares Honest Words on Too Many Hindrance Calls This Season

Daniil Medvedev later apologized to Jack Draper following a controversial hindrance call during their quarter-finals match.

Aryna Sabalenka Shares Honest Words on Too Many Hindrance Calls This Season

Aryna Sabalenka (Image via X/HQ Pics)

In Short
  • Aryna Sabalenka reached the final of the Indian Wells Open after defeating Linda Noskova.
  • Sabalenka criticized a controversial hindrance call made during a match between Jack Draper and Daniil Medvedev.
  • She aims to win her first Indian Wells title against Elena Rybakina, having lost six championship matches since last season.

Aryna Sabalenka has given her take on whether players should stop proceedings immediately for a video review for hindrance. The World No.1 earned her place in the final of the Indian Wells Open after beating Czech Republic star Linda Noskova in straight sets, making it the third time she will feature in the championship match of the tournament.

On Thursday (March 12), a controversial incident happened in the match between Jack Draper and Daniil Medvedev. Draper had lost the first set of his quarterfinals encounter with the Russian star and needed to fight back to deny Medvedev a chance to serve for the match at 5-4 in the nervy moment of the clash.

Trialing 5-5 (15-0), Draper stretched his arms out wide during a rally to signal that he thought Medvedev’s forehand had gone long. However, the rally continued for another seven shots before Medvedev’s backhand hit the net. Surprisingly, the former World No.1 then asked the chair umpire, Aurelie Tourte, for a video review to see whether Draper was guilty of hindrance.

A hindrance call is known as making an action or noise to disturb an opponent. After the review, the umpire informed Draper that she was ruling against him as he would have played the decisive moment of the match, which he normally did. She awarded Medvedev the point, prompting the crowd to boo the Russian star.

After the match, the pair discussed the issue at the net after a very warm handshake. Medvedev apologized to the British No.1, who lost the tie 1-6, 5-7, crashing out of the tournament. During Sabalenka’s press conference, the WTA No.1 admitted that the hindrance call from Medvedev was controversial:

Yesterday we saw one with Medvedev. Well, I don’t know. I think what happened to Daniil is that he requested a video review, right? In my case, I get the feeling the chair umpire wanted to show she’s doing her job and is aware of all that. I watched my video again and it seemed to me that nothing happened, I mean, even Elina was surprised. She was like, ‘What happened?’ It seems complicated. I feel that in my case, it wasn’t necessary for the referee to call it.

Medvedev will face Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals of the Indian Wells Open. The World No.11 holds an underwhelming 2-6 record against the Spaniard on tour and has not beaten him for over two years. Alcaraz defeated Cameron Norrie in the quarter-finals and currently holds a 16-0 win-loss record this season and has won two titles.

Aryna Sabalenka focused on beating Elena Rybakina in the Indian Wells final

Aryna Sabalenka faces a huge task in her bid to win her maiden Indian Wells Open. The World No. 1 reached the final of the tournament in 2023, losing to Elena Rybakina. She reached that same stage in 2025, and this time around fell to Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva in three sets. She has lost six championship matches since last season.

Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina (3)
Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina (Image via X/Aryna Sabalenka, Yeticus Maximus)

She will face Rybakina in the final on Sunday (March 15) at the California desert. Rybakina is currently on a good run of form and has already won the Australian Open, where she defeated Sabalenka. Ahead of their clash, Sabalenka revealed that her focus is only on beating Rybakina to win the Indian Wells:

I just want to focus, if I make it to the final, I want to make sure that I get it, I get the trophy. You know, I’m so done of losing these big finals. It felt like even though players were playing incredible tennis in those finals, I feel like I had so many opportunities that I didn’t use. And right now my mentality, if I make it to the final, I’ll go out there and, you know, I’ll do everything I can and everything I cannot to get that trophy.

Rybakina has won four of her last five finals against Sabalenka. In fact, the only time Sabalenka defeated the Kazakhstan star was at the Australian Open in 2023. It will be their sixteenth meeting on tour, with Sabalenka holding a slim 8-7 lead in their head-to-head record.

Also Read: Alexander Zverev Dismisses Nike Outfits at Indian Wells: “Become a Bit Colorblind Lately”