Carlos Alcaraz Shows Class Again After Jack Draper Retires From Australian Open Clash
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Carlos Alcaraz will play in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open once again after Jack Draper retired from their fourth-round match.
These two players had a completely different path to the fourth round of the 2025 Australian Open. While Alcaraz lost only one set on his way to the fourth, Draper had to play three five-setters, which took its toll, and it showed in this match.
The two already met three times before, and on two occasions, it was Alcaraz who won the match. He first triumphed at the Swiss Indoors in Basel in 2022, and in 2023, the Spaniard bested Draper in Indian Wells.
That, however, was after Draper's retirement. Back then, Alcaraz wished the British player a quick recovery with a message on the camera, showing his class. Since then, they met once again, with Draper winning at the Queen's Club last year.
This time, their match was significantly impacted by Draper's lack of match fitness. The British player was able to hand on in the first set of the match. It was a wild set, with both players having multiple break chances.
Draper, who, on average, served 10 km/h (6 mph) slower than Alcaraz in the match, had three chances to break in the opening set, and he was able to use one of them, but it was only to break back when he was already trailing.
That was because Alcaraz had a total of seven break points, and after using his fifth in the opening set, he led 4-2. But after Draper's break back, the scoreboard showed five-all.
Still, Alcaraz handled the last two games of the set perfectly, coming back from a 0-30 deficit on his serve to win his game and eventually break again to win the first set 7-5.
In the second set, Draper's physical issues became more troubling, as the British player couldn't match his opponent's intensity. As a result, Alcaraz was able to win the second set 6-1, after which Draper retired.
Alcaraz moved on to the quarter-finals of the tournament, and he again showed his class after the match. He took his time to write a relatively long message on the camera lens again, which read: "You will be where you deserve. Get well soon, Jack!"
In the quarter-finals of the tournament, the 21-year-old Spaniard will await either the 10-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic or the 24th-seeded Jiri Lehecka. Alcraz is aware of who he could face, which is why he plans to watch the match.
"Well, I'm going to watch it, for sure. Where, I don't know. I have to recover now. My mind is on the recovery with my team. I'm going to try to take the most of my time to put the match on and watch it."
"I mean, that guy called Novak Djokovic, I played a few times against him. And Jiri as well. It's going to be a very intensive match to watch, I'm sure people are going to enjoy the match."
After leaving the court, Alcaraz once again reiterated his message for young rival Draper, posting on social media. He wished the British player a quick recovery.
