Richard Pagliaro | @tennis_now | Saturday, June 21, 2025
Image source: Julian Finney/Getty
Jack Draper Screen games precipitate the climax of the painful Queen’s Club.
The British No. 1 beat the racquet to the side of the court screen – breaking his Dunlop racket in the process, causing his knees to bleed – causing his 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 Queen’s club club semifinals to lose to Jiri Lehecka today.
Draper lags 5-6 in the decision-makers and then releases his inner David Nalbandian and smashes his Dunlop onto the ad screen next to the courtroom.
Rampage destroyed his racket, turning the red screen into black, and the left drawer leaned towards the right knee of the switch. Draper took the ball out of Andy Murray Arena earlier in the game, and he violated the regulations for Jack’s attack on the sign.
Afterward, Draper revealed that he had been battling tonsillitis and said his emotions were out.
“When you feel bad, when your energy is really low, you do your best,” Draper told Queen’s Club media. “I’m almost angry.
“So when you do your best and things don’t go, it’s easy to overflow. That’s what happens.
“Like I said, I don’t want to tell the truth, but it’s just how I’m a competitor. Sometimes I just play with some ropes. I don’t want to do that, yes.”
The Indian Wells champion said he has been battling tonsillitis.
“It’s been developing in a week. I’ve been trying to recover and stuff it, but when you have something like that, the body doesn’t want to play 2 hours and 20 games in the Heat,” Draper said of his illness. “You know, it might be bad for you, so you don’t feel better.”
“I mean, today is probably the worst thing I feel. Do I want to withdraw? No, not at all. I’m in the Queen’s semifinals.
“I won’t withdraw for anything.
Jiri let us roar loudly at the match point 🗣️#HSBCchampionsships pic.twitter.com/o6lrye2fru
– Tennis TV (@tennistv) June 21, 2025
Since Tomas Berdych swept Novak Djokovic, the world’s No. 30 Lehecka is the first Czech to enter the lawn tour final on the lawn tour. Lehecka is the first Czech since Ivan Lendl entered the Queen’s Club final in 1990. Lehecka will face two-time Wimbledon champions Carlos Alcaraz or Roberto Bautista Agut in tomorrow’s championship game.
