Aryna Sabalenka speaks out on tennis’ VAR problem after Jack Draper controversy at Indian Wells

Aryna Sabalenka believes players must have to halt a point immediately to seek a video review after the controversy that surrounded Jack Draper’s Indian Wells exit to Daniil Medvedev.

Defending champion Draper succumbed to a 6-1 7-5 loss against the Russian but it was a contentious late hindrance call that got everyone talking, one which allowed Medvedev to get the all important break in the second set.

Medvedev had taken issue with Draper raising his arms at a disputed line call midway through the point, appealing to umpire Aurelie Torte after netting his backhand a few shots later. After a video review, Torte deemed Draper to have distracted his opponent and awarded a crucial point to Medvedev, taking him 0-30 up with the second set at 5-5.

World No 1 Sabalenka didn’t take have as much of a problem with the ruling but rather the procedure, insisting that players shouldn’t be able to discover the outcome of the point before asking for a video review to intervene.

“What I think is really awkward is you can finish the point and then ask for that,” Sabalenka said, speaking after her Indian Wells semi-final win over Linda Noskova.

“Because if you really got bothered, then you should stop immediately and ask for the video review… if he would have won the point, he wouldn’t probably ask for the video review, right? I don’t really think that’s the way it should be.

“If he got bothered, [he should] ask for the video review straightaway.”

Video review technology has been available on all courts at the nine ATP Masters 1000 tournaments since February last year, allowing players to challenge umpiring decisions on foul shots and hindrances among other issues.

Umpires can also call hindrance without a player seeking a review, as happened with Sabalenka for excessive grunting in a rally during her Australian Open semi-final win over Elina Svitolina in January.

“With me, it was unnecessary for the referee to call that one,” she added. “About Daniil, theoretically he [Draper] made the move, but I don’t think it bothered Daniil that much.”

Sabalenka has been in formidable form this season, winning 15 of her first 16 matches, with her only defeat coming against Elena Rybakina in the Melbourne showpiece in January.

She will now get a shot at revenge as she takes on the Kazakh in the Indian Wells final on Saturday.