Tennis fans took to social media to express frustration after Jack Draper’s racket-smashing outburst during his semifinal defeat at the 2025 Queen’s Club Championships went relatively unpunished. The incident occurred during the British star’s 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 loss to Jiří Lehečka at the ATP 500 grass court tournament in London on Saturday.
Draper entered the tournament as the second seed, beginning his grass court campaign with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Jenson Brooksby. He navigated through challenging matches against Alexei Popyrin (3-6, 6-2, 7-6(5)) and Brandon Nakashima (6-4, 5-7, 6-4) to reach his first Queen’s Club semifinal.
However, the 23-year-old’s tournament run ended against world No. 30 Lehečka, who prevailed in a tightly contested match lasting two hours and seven minutes.
Jack Draper’s Outburst Draws Mixed Response From Tennis Fans at Queen’s Club Championships 2025
The flashpoint came at 5-5 in the deciding set. After Lehečka broke his serve with a precise backhand winner down the line, Draper erupted in frustration. The British No. 1 violently smashed his racket against the electronic advertising hoarding at courtside, causing the digital display to malfunction. The impact damaged the board’s display, with portions going dark and sections physically detaching from the structure.
Chair umpire Adel Nour issued Draper a code violation for the outburst, though many fans felt the punishment was insufficient given the property damage. The incident also resulted in Draper grazing his knee, with blood visible on his leg as he returned to his chair.
Social media erupted with criticism of what many perceived as lenient officiating. One fan questioned the decision not to default Draper, posting:
How is senseless violence and destruction of property not an automatic disqualification… https://t.co/u4qaLt9ywK
— Jasmine 1GA (@igababygoat) June 21, 2025
Another fan suggested a double standard in tennis officiating, arguing that other players would face harsher consequences:
Jack Draper destroying his racquets on the ads..
What if Novak Djokovic did this ?
Would be : defaulted, fined, deported to immigration camp and jailed. pic.twitter.com/nFci5dTovG— You (@borrowedlove91) June 21, 2025
The code violation came after earlier incidents of frustration from Draper. According to eyewitnesses, he had fired a ball into the crowd after failing to convert break points in the second set, though he avoided a warning for that action. One fan noted this pattern of behavior:
Some weak umpiring meant Draper didn’t get a warning when he fired a ball earlier.
Furious at getting broken at 5-5 in the third he goes after the ad board signage and … breaks it. pic.twitter.com/vV92FgZNU7— Stephanie Myles (@OpenCourt) June 21, 2025
The irony of Draper damaging a Dunlop advertising board with his Dunlop racket wasn’t lost on observers, with one fan commenting:
Breaking his sponsor’s ad with their own racket what an idiot
Others drew parallels to workplace behavior, questioning the professionalism:
Doing this in any other job would get you fired. Imagine randomly destroying someone else’s computer at work? https://t.co/jp6qaL6uFe
— Lili (@nowhere_lili) June 21, 2025
Jack Draper Achieves Milestone for Wimbledon 2025
Despite the disappointing end to his Queen’s Club campaign, Draper’s semifinal run secured him a career-high world ranking of No. 4 and guaranteed him a top-four seeding at Wimbledon. This marks a significant achievement for the 23-year-old, who was ranked No. 40 at Wimbledon just a year ago.
Looking ahead, Draper will compete at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships, scheduled for June 30 to July 13, 2025, at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London.
At last year’s grass court Major, Draper defeated Elias Ymer in the opening round before falling to compatriot Cameron Norrie in the second round. With his improved ranking and grass court form, expectations will be higher for the British star at this year’s Championships.
