Jack Draper responds to booing fans after suffering Miami Open nightmare
WATCH NOW: Aidan Magee discusses the latest sport headlines
Jack Draper suffered defeat at the Miami Open just days after winning at Indian Wells
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British number one Jack Draper suffered a shock defeat in his first match since winning the Indian Wells title, losing to 19-year-old Jakub Mensik in the second round of the Miami Open.
The world number seven, who reached a career-high ranking after his triumph in California, was beaten in straight sets by the Czech teenager.
Draper's match was also disrupted by unusual scenes of crowd unrest during the second set when fans began leaving the stands en masse.
Mensik, ranked 54th in the world, won both sets in tie-breaks, 7-6 (7-2), 7-6 (7-3).
Jack Draper admitted he could not hear the ball due to booing fans
Sky Sports
Draper had made a promising start, breaking Mensik in the opening game of the match.
However, the Czech teenager fought back to level at 3-3 in the first set before taking control.
Mensik's powerful serve proved decisive as he fired 21 aces throughout the contest, including four in the first-set tie-break alone.
The 19-year-old's impressive performance saw him secure his third ATP Masters 1000 third-round appearance.
The match was interrupted when Brazilian fans, who had been waiting to watch their compatriot Joao Fonseca play against Ugo Humbert, discovered the match had been suddenly moved to the main court.
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As they left the Grandstand Stadium, many booed and created a disturbance, causing confusion for both players.
Mensik appeared ready to continue playing despite the commotion, but Draper was visibly unhappy with the noise.
Chair umpire Rene Lichtenstein eventually asked both players to take a brief pause until the situation calmed down.
"I didn't really know what was going on at first," Draper told Sky Sports after the match. "Obviously it was getting quite loud - I couldn't hear the ball being hit."
Jack Draper had only won his first ATP title days earlier at Indian Wells
Reuters
The British star was sympathetic to the fans' predicament.
"Those Brazilian fans had been in the stadium waiting for him to play all day and then obviously they changed the court. It's not ideal, I can understand their frustration," he added.
Draper was leading 4-3 in the second set when the disruption occurred.
"I was just confused as to what was going on, but we waited for a few minutes and then it was fine."
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What a performance from Jakub Mensik ✨
— Sky Sports Tennis (@SkySportsTennis) March 22, 2025
He defeats Jack Draper with his 21st ace 🔥 pic.twitter.com/3iWyGsxBCR
Draper had hoped the interruption might disrupt Mensik's rhythm, but the teenager remained composed, continuing his impressive serving display to close out the match.
The defeat comes just days after Draper's breakthrough victory at Indian Wells, where he claimed his maiden Masters 1000 title.
Draper wasn't the only Indian Wells standout to make an early exit in Miami, with fellow semi-finalists Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev and Holger Rune also suffering defeats.
Despite the disappointment, Draper won't lose ranking points as he also exited in the second round last year.