Daniil Medvedev Insists He Didn’t Cheat After Hindrance Drama Versus Jack Draper

Daniil Medvedev is facing cheating allegations due to a hindrance call during his quarterfinal match against Jack Draper in the ongoing Indian Wells. The match, held on Thursday (March 12), saw the Russian ace clinch a 6-1, 7-5 win and improve his head-to-head record over the Brit to 2-0.

After a 24-minute first set, Draper tried to claw his way back into the game but ultimately failed. The aforementioned hindrance incident happened during the 11th game of the second set.

During a rally, Draper raised his non-racket arm, but at that moment, instead of stopping the game and calling for hindrance, Medvedev kept playing before his backhand hit the net. The Russian ace called for the video review after which, umpire Aurelie Torte awarded him the point to the utter frustration of Draper.

Torte did not overturn the decision to award the point to Medvedev after Draper’s protest. The two former top 10 players also exchanged heated words during the customary handshake. At the press conference later, Medvedev shared his honest feelings about the controversial call.

So, as I say, was I distracted big time? No. Do I feel good about it? Not really. But I also don’t feel like I cheated or something. So I got a bit distracted. I let it go, I let the referee decide. I had a lot of calls against me in my life, and I usually don’t handle them well. To get one on my side, I guess, feels good as well.

Draper defeated Holger Rune in last year’s Indian Wells final and won his first Big Title of his career, and later lost the Madrid Open to three-time Grand Slam finalist Casper Ruud. The 24-year-old, who was forced to end his 2025 season after his US Open campaign due to an arm injury, competed in his second singles tournament of the 2026 season following the Dubai Tennis Championships.

I have a good relationship with Jack. I don’t think this incident influenced the outcome. In fact, I told the chair umpire that if she didn’t consider the distraction enough, then it should be 15-15 and we keep playing. I don’t feel good about what happened, but I also don’t think I cheated. There have been decisions in my career that have harmed me, so getting one in my favor is okay.

Daniil Medvedev added

Before losing to the 2021 US Open champion, Draper knocked out Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals, stopping his bid to break the tie with Roger Federer and win his sixth title in the California desert.

Daniil Medvedev will be playing Carlos Alcaraz next

Daniil Medvedev is a two-time finalist at Indian Wells. He reached the title clashes in 2023 and 2024, losing both to Carlos Alcaraz. The seven-time Grand Slam champion, in fact, is his semifinal opponent this time.

Alcaraz downed Cameron Norrie in straight sets to improve his head-to-head record over the Brit to 6-3. Against Medvedev, the Spaniard has won six of their eight meetings.

I’ve been watching his matches the last tournaments. He’s starting to play better and better. I think he got the confidence back. And it’s going to be really tough.

Carlos Alcaraz said during the on-court interview

Last year, Alcaraz’s Indian Wells run was ended by Jack Draper in the semifinals. The 22-year-old is on a 16-match winning streak, having lifted the Australian Open and the Qatar Open by defeating Novak Djokovic and Arthur Fils, respectively.

Alcaraz is chasing his first Masters 1000 title since winning the 2025 Cincinnati Masters. Medvedev last lifted a title at this level at the 2023 Italian Open.

Also read: Olympic Skier Clears the Air on Heckling of Jannik Sinner During Indian Wells

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Join our newsletter to receive exclusive updates and curated insights directly to your inbox.

Subscribe NOW