Of the four previous times that Jack Draper and Carlos Alcaraz had stood across the net from each other, half had ended with a distraught Briton aborting the match because of injury. While Draper attempted to keep up with the most successful player of his generation, their rivalry underlined the biggest obstacle in his career: his physical frailty.
Physically, mentally and in every other category, however, the British No 1 has dramatically improved over the past year as he has established himself as one of the very best players in the world. Amid a fortnight that has showcased the best tennis of his life, the 23-year-old held his nerve in a turbulent, chaotic tussle to close out a remarkable 6-1, 0-6, 6-4 win over Alcaraz and reach his first Masters 1000 final at Indian Wells.
