January 19, 2025
Carlos Alcaraz’s bid to become the youngest man to complete the Career Grand Slam remains on track at the Australian Open after Jack Draper was forced to withdraw from the pair’s fourth-round clash on Sunday in Melbourne.
The Spaniard led 7-5, 6-1 when Draper, who played five sets in each of his first three rounds at the hard-court major, was forced to stop. The Briton later explained that he had been managing tendinitis in his hip throughout the week. Alcaraz is now into his 10th Grand Slam quarter-final, in which he will take on record 10-time champion Novak Djokovic or Jiri Lehecka.
“It’s not the way I want to win the match to get through to the next round,” said Alcaraz in his on-court interview. “I’m just happy to play in another quarter-final in Australia but a little bit sad for Jack, he’s a nice person. He doesn’t deserve to get injured.
“He couldn’t prepare the start of the season well because of an injury. We should have done a good week of preseason [together], but we couldn’t because of an injury as well. I’m just a little bit sad for him but I’m sure he’s going to come back stronger and I want to wish him a speedy recovery.”
Draper’s retirement came after Alcaraz had rectified a first-set lapse in scintillating fashion inside Rod Laver Arena. The third seed had carved out an early 5-2 lead and was in total command when he produced a frustrated, wayward sequence of games to allow the Briton to level at 5-5.
From there, however, Alcaraz was imperious. Regularly producing some typically outrageous shotmaking, he won eight of the next nine games as Draper, who received an off-court medical timeout at the end of the first set, began to feel the exertions of his opening-week heroics in Melbourne.
“I am just happy with the level that I’m playing on the court,” reflected Alcaraz. “Off the court I’m feeling really comfortable here in Australia. I think it’s pretty good. Physically I’m feeling great so coming into the second week of a Grand Slam it’s really important to feel well physically because right now the matches are even tougher. I’m just ready. I think I’m doing great things off the court as well.
“I’m excited about playing my second quarter-final in Australia and hopefully getting further this year.”
By reaching the last eight at a major for the 10th time, Alcaraz equalled the Open Era record for the most Grand Slam quarter-finals reached by a man aged 21 or under. The No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings, he is looking to complete the full set of major singles titles after his triumphs at Roland Garros (2024), Wimbledon (2023, 2024) and the US Open (2022).
Alcaraz will now prepare for an eighth Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting with his great rival Djokovic for a place in the last four.
Alexander Zverev claimed a jaw-dropping 26th consecutive win against left-handed players as he defeated Ugo Humbert 6-1, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 to reach the Australian Open quarter-finals Sunday.
The World No. 2, seeking his maiden Grand Slam title, will next meet former Australian Open semi-finalist Tommy Paul, who dropped just three games in a runaway win over Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who was at less than full fitness following his back-to-back comebacks from two sets down in the previous two rounds.
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