The respect that Jack Draper has earned around the world on the tennis circuit with his breakthrough performances over the past 12 months was epitomised by Carlos Alcaraz’s mindset in the buildup to their latest encounter. Alcaraz did not merely intend to win, as he does in every match, he desperately wanted to exact his revenge on an opponent who has positioned himself as one of his biggest challengers.
Alcaraz achieved those aims with ruthless efficiency, piecing together some of his best tennis of the season at the end of two tough sets to stop the fifth seed Draper’s excellent run and reach the semi-finals of the Italian Open with a 6-4, 6-4 win.
