Carlos Alcaraz’s dream of a historic three-peat at the BNP Paribas Open came crashing down on Saturday as Jack Draper stunned the Spaniard in a thrilling semi-final clash.
The British left-hander delivered a statement performance, securing a 6-1, 0-6, 6-4 victory to end Alcaraz’s 16-match winning streak in Indian Wells.
Despite rallying back in the second set with a commanding 6-0 scoreline, the World No. 3 struggled to maintain his momentum. He later admitted that nerves and overthinking Draper’s aggressive game disrupted his focus.
“I was more worried about his level than mine,” Alcaraz said. “I didn’t approach the match the best way. Even in warm-up, I didn’t feel good on court.”
The 21-year-old Spaniard, who had not lost in the desert since 2022, looked out of sorts in the opening set, making 13 unforced errors and landing only 38 percent of his first serves. However, he responded emphatically in the second, breaking Draper three times to level the match.
But Draper, determined to reach his first Masters 1000 final, held his nerve in the decider. A crucial break in the third set proved decisive as the 23-year-old closed out the match in just under two hours. The victory also gave Draper a 3-2 edge in his head-to-head battles with Alcaraz.
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Despite the defeat, Alcaraz remains optimistic about bouncing back at the Miami Open, where he aims to use this setback as motivation. He pointed out that after his last semi-final loss in Indian Wells, he went on to win the Miami title.
“I don’t want to lose any match, but I will learn from this,” Alcaraz said. “I’ll go for it in Miami.”
Draper, meanwhile, earned high praise from his opponent. Alcaraz acknowledged the Brit’s talent and predicted a bright future for him in the sport.
“He deserves to be Top 10,” Alcaraz said. “He’s ready for the big tournaments.”
With this impressive win, Draper now sets his sights on claiming his maiden ATP Masters 1000 title, proving he is a force to be reckoned with.
Crediblenewsng.com
