World No. 13 Jack Draper ended Carlos Alcaraz’s title defense at Indian Wells 2025, delivering a stunning upset in the semifinals. The British left-hander capitalized on Alcaraz’s uncharacteristic errors and struggles with his serve to claim victory with a score of 6-1, 0-6, 6-2. Draper will now face Holger Rune in the tournament final.
Alcaraz entered the semifinal brimming with confidence. The former world No. 1 had cruised through the earlier rounds, encountering his toughest challenge against Francisco Cerúndolo in the quarterfinals.
His campaign began with a straightforward win over Frenchman Quentin Halys. In the second round, he dispatched Denis Shapovalov, who was expected to pose a challenge but was ultimately outplayed. The Spaniard then dominated Grigor Dimitrov in the round of 16, winning in just over an hour. Cerúndolo put up more resistance in the quarterfinals, but Alcaraz prevailed in straight sets, 6-3, 7-6.
Draper, meanwhile, had an impressive run of his own. He opened with a victory over rising star Joao Fonseca before becoming a nightmare for American players, defeating Jenson Brooksby, No. 4 seed Taylor Fritz, and No. 13 Ben Shelton. The young Briton demonstrated the consistency and resilience needed to break into tennis’s elite ranks.
First Set
Draper set the tone early with aggressive play, breaking Alcaraz in the Spaniard’s opening service game.
At 0-3, Alcaraz managed to hold serve, hinting at a potential turnaround, but it never materialized. Draper continued his dominance, closing out the set 6-1 in rapid fashion.
The Briton was near-flawless on serve, winning 85% of points behind his first serve. In contrast, Alcaraz struggled, landing just 38% of his first serves, allowing Draper to dictate play.
Second Set
Alcaraz narrowly escaped an early break before capitalizing on a dip in Draper’s performance, securing a break at 0-40 thanks to a double fault.
That moment proved pivotal as Alcaraz completely flipped the script. The Murcian played with renewed confidence, drastically reducing errors while firing winners across the court. Draper, on the other hand, lost his rhythm, his first-serve effectiveness dropping to 38%.
Alcaraz steamrolled through the set, winning 6-0 and forcing a decisive third set.
Third Set
Draper quickly regrouped, breaking Alcaraz in the opening game and surging to a 3-1 lead. Alcaraz, whose serve had been a key weapon throughout the tournament, found it unreliable at the worst possible time.
Sensing his opponent’s vulnerability, Draper continued attacking on return, even against Alcaraz’s first serve. The Briton’s physical endurance became evident as he relentlessly chased down shots, forcing Alcaraz into long rallies and multiple errors.
Draper secured another break to go up 5-2, but nerves crept in as he served for the match. Alcaraz broke back, held his own serve, and applied pressure on Draper. However, on his second opportunity to serve out the match, Draper unleashed a powerful serve to seal the victory 6-4.
Match Statistics: Draper vs. Alcaraz
Service
- Aces: Draper 4 | Alcaraz 3
- Double Faults: Draper 2 | Alcaraz 4
- 1st Serve Percentage: Draper 68% (47/69) | Alcaraz 56% (39/70)
- 1st Serve Points Won: Draper 64% (30/47) | Alcaraz 64% (25/39)
- 2nd Serve Points Won: Draper 50% (11/22) | Alcaraz 45% (14/31)
- Break Points Saved: Draper 56% (5/9) | Alcaraz 20% (1/5)
- Service Games Won: Draper 67% (8/12) | Alcaraz 64% (7/11)
Return
- 1st Return Points Won: Draper 36% (14/39) | Alcaraz 36% (17/47)
- 2nd Return Points Won: Draper 55% (17/31) | Alcaraz 50% (11/22)
Other
- Match Duration: 1h 45m
Draper’s ability to stay composed and exploit Alcaraz’s inconsistencies proved decisive. He now moves on to the final, where he will battle Holger Rune for the Indian Wells 2025 title.
