Alcaraz dismisses Draper in straight sets to ease into Italian Open semi-final

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.

The first four months of this season have presented numerous difficulties for Alcaraz, the third seed in Rome, particularly as the sport has looked towards him in the absence of Jannik Sinner. This excellent performance was further evidence that the 22‑year‑old, a champion in Monte Carlo at the beginning of the clay season, is finding his best level again. “It probably was one of the most complete matches that I played this year,” Alcaraz said.

For Draper, who fought hard until the end but struggled with his composure in crucial moments, the defeat closes out another great tournament that will be invaluable in the 23‑year‑old Briton’s development as a top player and a clay-court contender. Still, he was bitterly frustrated with his level and mental composure in the match.

“I’m very disappointed with the way I performed,” he said. “I think from a mental and emotional point of view, obviously you could say: ‘That’s normal, you had a tough four weeks now.’ But I don’t want to be normal. I want to be right up there. It hurts a lot, this kind of loss.”

Two months ago Alcaraz and Draper faced each other in the Indian Wells semi‑finals; a tense, turbulent match that Draper won en route to his first career ATP Masters 1000 title. Alcaraz’s state of mind going into the match was in some ways even more surprising than the actual result. He later admitted that he had been enduring suffocating nerves because of the challenge Draper presented.

“I remember Indian Wells was really difficult for me, the whole day before the match dealing with the nerves,” Alcaraz said. “It was really stressful. Today I approached the match in a different way, which I’m really proud about. I just tried to show my best tennis from the first point until the last point.”

Up against by far the toughest clay-court opponent of his career in the reigning French Open and Monte Carlo champion, Draper started well and took a 4-2 lead after a loose service game from Alcaraz. But Alcaraz responded immediately with a fine return game, which freed him up. He ended the set in supreme form, opening up his vast toolbox of shots as he dominated the baseline with his spectacular forehand, peppered the Briton with well-measured drop shots and closed down the net confidently.

View image in fullscreen Carlos Alcaraz celebrates after winning his quarter-final match against Britain’s Jack Draper. Photograph: Yves Herman/Reuters

Although Alcaraz was brilliant – his forehand was sublime in the decisive moments – Draper’s disappointment was understandable. At the end of two competitive sets, after particularly generating numerous opportunities in set two, he lost his composure and focus when he most needed it, allowing Alcaraz to bulldoze him at the end of both sets. As he reflected on his performance, Draper said that he feels the pain of defeats even more now that he understands his capabilities.

“As I’ve got better, it hurts more because I know I can do so well. For instance today, I feel like I’m much better than that from a lot of standards, just from a mental and emotional side of the match. At the same time that’s what the best players in the world do, they make you feel like that.”

The high standards Draper demands from himself are precisely what will drive him to even greater heights, but with time and distance from this result he should also be able to reflect on the significance of this breakthrough. He arrived in the clay-court season simply trying to find his feet on the surface and he has played top‑level tennis, following up his Madrid final with a Rome quarter-final.

As a result, Draper will head to Paris next week for the French Open as a top-five player at a grand slam tournament for the first time in his career and he has shown to himself and the entire tour that he is capable of deep runs on all surfaces. There will also be plenty more opportunities in the future for him to execute the revenge he now seeks.

“Carlos was the better player,” he said. “I have to accept that, go back to the drawing board, really prepare well for the French Open and know that I’m hopefully going to have many more chances against these great players.”

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