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Djokovic said it was embarrassing that tennis was not using video replay technology everywhere to help avoid controversial incidents such as the double bounce drama.
American Sloane Stephens, the 2017 US Open champion, asked on X, formerly known as Twitter, whether Allensworth would face “consequences”, while Greek star Stefanos Tsitsipas simply wrote “Oh my God!” in a post with a slow-motion replay of the incident.
“This is two incidents in two tournaments by the same referee,” Stevens wrote.
“Will he be on probation? Will he not get his end-of-year bonus? Will he not be able to participate in the next Grand Slam? Okay? I'm really curious.”
But others have defended Allensworth, including tennis media personality Blair Henley, who said he had followed the “letter of the law” in previous incidents and that the double bounce situation was a “very difficult decision”.
“We can be frustrated by the lack of VAR, but there is no need to bring in one person.”
Last year's US Open became the first Grand Slam tournament to use video review to help umpires pick controversial decisions, and the technology has also been used at some ATP tournaments.
Djokovic is a strong advocate for the system to be implemented at all events, along with Fritz's coach and former tour player Michael Russell, who also posted about the Draper controversy.
“It's embarrassing that we don't have video replays of these situations on the court,” Djokovic said.
“What’s even more ridiculous is that we don’t have a rule that allows chair umpires to change the original decision based on a video review that happens off the pitch!”
Former world number one Andy Roddick also weighed in, noting that Draper would have known the ball had bounced to his side first.
“I feel like every time I hit the ball straight into the ground, I know I hit it straight into the ground,” Roddick wrote to his 1.4 million followers. “Also, if you have the technique, you just have to make the right decision… It takes longer to argue about that.”
Australian Daria Saville had a different perspective than the majority in a post that was later deleted, after her compatriot Thanasi Kokkinakis – who apparently disagreed with her – urged her to delete it.
“It's not a double bounce (Draper tried to hit a fly ball but caught it on the bounce),” Saville posted.
“He doesn't hit the ball on the ground (because if he did the ball would spin forward). Even if it's a double – it's only one hit, so it's legal.”
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Hawk-Eye malfunctions that cost Frances Tiafoe and Fritz their matches in Montreal and Cincinnati, where the points were re-counted instead of awarded against the player who had the ball, led to an update to the ATP Tour rules.
“Following recent technical issues with Live ELC in Montreal and Cincinnati, we have undertaken a comprehensive review of our protocols,” the ATP said in a statement.
“In the future, if the reviewing official determines during the rally that the ball was out earlier than the point (but was not called by the system), that decision will stand.”
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