Carlos Alcaraz had a heartfelt message for Jack Draper after the British star ended his three-year unbeaten streak at Indian Wells. The Spanish world No. 3 had been on a 16-match winning streak at the tournament, having lifted the title in both 2023 and 2024. However, Draper delivered a stunning upset in the semi-final, securing a dramatic 6-1, 0-6, 6-4 victory.
This marked Draper’s second career win over Alcaraz, having also defeated him at Queen’s Club last year. Despite the loss, Alcaraz relished the battle and made it clear that he was already looking forward to their next showdown, eager to get his “revenge.”
Alcaraz was visibly disappointed after missing out on the chance to claim a third consecutive title in the Californian desert. It was the first time he had lost at Indian Wells since the 2022 semi-final, making the defeat particularly painful.
“This one hurts. I don’t want to lose any match, but I think this one was even more special to me,” Alcaraz admitted in his post-match press conference.
Despite the sting of defeat, the 21-year-old showed his sportsmanship by encouraging Draper and expressing excitement for their future encounters. When Draper shared a series of photos from the match on Instagram, celebrating his milestone victory, he wrote: “Huge respect to @carlitosalcarazz.. looking forward to many more battles!! Final tomorrow.”
Alcaraz was quick to reply in the comments, responding: “Can’t wait for the revenge! Good luck in the final!”
This isn’t the first time Alcaraz has publicly shown his support for Draper. When the Brit was forced to retire from their Australian Open fourth-round match in January, Alcaraz wrote a classy message on the camera lens: “You will be where you deserve. Get well soon Jack.”
His prediction has already come true, with Draper now set to break into the ATP top 10 for the first time.
Reflecting on Draper’s rise, Alcaraz said after their match: “I remember in January when I played him in Australia, he had to retire. I said, ‘You will be where you deserve.’ And he deserves to be top 10. He deserves to play a final in a Masters 1000.”
The Spaniard praised Draper’s composure under pressure, admitting that the Brit handled the nerves of playing for a top-10 debut and a Masters 1000 final better than he did.
“He’s ready to stay there for a long time. He’s ready to play for the big events, for the big tournaments. I [wasn’t] surprised about what I saw today,” Alcaraz added. “Great to him and all the best in the final.”
Draper will now face Holger Rune in the final as he chases the biggest title of his career. Rune, a former Paris Masters champion, has already proven himself on the biggest stages, setting up what promises to be an exciting battle for the trophy.
