Jack Draper faced Carlos Alcaraz at the Indian Wells Masters earlier this year and lost the match after retiring in the second set due to an ab injury.
Carlos Alcaraz and Jack Draper will certainly battle many times in the future and it's a very intriguing matchup as the Brit continues to improve. They are not on the same level right now but Draper has full belief that he can challenge him in the future. He did okay in Indian Wells considering the ab injury that ultimately forced him to abandon the match.
Yeah, it was a bit of a shame in Indian Wells. I hurt my ab at the end of the Andy match and that was obviously going to affect me. But I think even if I was OK and fit, the level that was coming at me that day on the court was something that I hadn’t really experienced much on a tennis court before.
The level was indeed incredible and Draper wasn't the only one bewildered by it. Daniil Medvedev saw his winning streak snapped by Alcaraz in a final that never really looked competitive. The tenacity with which he plays is already leaving a lasting impression on fellow players, Draper included. He sees Alcaraz as the benchmark of where he needs to be.
I have huge respect for him. He’s obviously an incredible player. What he’s done already in tennis is is pretty, pretty incredible, not not only just his tennis, but his physicality, his mentality. I see him as more of a benchmark of that’s where I want to be week in, week out. I want to be able to compete with him and hopefully, win against him. Full respect, he’s an incredible player. And I don’t think you can quite appreciate it until you play against him.
0 Comments