“I can beat anyone,” Jack Draper sends warning to Carlos Alcaraz ahead of their Indian Wells semifinal clash
Carlos Alcaraz and Jack Draper are pitted against each other in the semifinals of the ongoing Indian Wells Open.
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Jack Draper, Carlos Alcaraz (Image via X)
Jack Draper is gearing up for a tough fight against World No.3 Carlos Alcaraz. The Brit ended Ben Shelton‘s Indian Wells run with a straight-set win in the quarterfinals to set up a match against Alcaraz in the last four.
Alcaraz on the other hand, got the better of Francisco Cerundolo in a tricky condition in the quarterfinals. He improved his head-to-head record to 2-0 over Cerundolo, inching closer to his third consecutive title in the California desert. Ahead of their match, Draper backed himself to beat any player in the world, giving a clear warning to the four-time Grand Slam champion that he would be giving his best to oust Alcaraz.
My coach and I believe that if I put my game on the court and do things right, honestly, I can beat anyone. Obviously, we know that at these levels, margins are very small, but there are still a couple of tactical things we can adjust to defeat the best. Perhaps discovering where an opponent likes to serve more, or seeing where I need to position myself for the return, but here everyone is so good at beating each other.
Jack Draper said at the press conference
The upcoming match against the Spaniard will be Draper’s first semifinal in the ATP Masters 1000 tournament as he has never reached beyond the fourth round. After making his Indian Wells debut in 2023, Draper gave a walkover to Alcaraz in the fourth round and was defeated in the first round last year.
Jack Draper says Carlos Alcaraz’s game is good for tennis
Jack Draper loves having an opportunity to face Carlos Alcaraz. Facing the 21-year-old would also be a great chance for him to show to the tennis world that he belongs “among the top players“.
He is a great champion, doing incredible things in tennis, so good for the sport… but not only for the players but also for the spectators to watch. He is setting a very high benchmark, which is very good for a player like me because I see him and can play against him, I need to be at his level and hopefully compete for big tournaments. I love having the opportunity to face Carlos again.
Jack Draper said at the press conference
When the last time they faced each other, the two-time Wimbledon champion beat him in this year’s Australian Open quarterfinals. If Alcaraz wins the tournament, he will become the youngest player to win three consecutive titles at any ATP event.
The semifinal match will be their fourth meeting on the ATP Tour and their second at Indian Wells. Alcaraz is 3-1 against the 23-year-old.
Carlos Alcaraz is chasing the second title of the season
Carlos Alcaraz inched closer to his second title of the season. Following the Australian Open, where he was defeated by Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals, the Murcia native clinched his maiden indoor hard-court title at the Rotterdam Open with a three-set win over Alex de Minaur.
Alcaraz then had a mediocre campaign at the Qatar Open as he lost to Jiri Lehecka in the quarterfinals. If he wins the title at Indian Wells, he will become the third player in the history of Men’s tennis to complete a three-peat following Roger Federer and Djokovic, both of who also won five titles in the event.
In both the previous Indian Wells finals, Alcaraz defeated Daniil Medvedev and could face the Russian once again if they progress to the summit clash. The 29-year-old secured a hard-fought win over Arthur Fils to set up a semifinal clash with Holger Rune.
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