Britain’s Jack Draper has lost steam and retired as Carlos Alcaraz reached the quarter-finals of the Australian Open – where they could face off. Today we will discuss about Carlos Alcaraz news: Jack Draper retires after thigh injury,Next match.
Carlos Alcaraz news: Jack Draper retires after thigh injury,Next match
Carlos Alcaraz reached his second Australian Open quarter-final on Sunday when his opponent Jack Draper was injured after trailing 7-5 6-1.
Spaniard Alcaraz was on top in the afternoon match against the Briton at Rod Laver Arena, taking a long time-out between sets.
The four-time Grand Slam champion will face the winner of Novak Djokovic and Jiri Lehka in the evening session.
“This is not the way I want to get to the next round. I’m happy to play another quarterfinal here in Australia,” Alcaraz said on the court. “But really feel sorry for Jack. He doesn’t deserve to be injured. He didn’t start the season well prepared.”
Elsewhere, Novak Djokovic is up against the talented Jiri Lehka, while second seed Alexander Zverev had a lot to deal with for Ugo Humbert. Earlier, Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka put in dominant performances and remain on course to meet in the semi-finals.
Jack Draper retires after thigh injury
British number one Jack Draper’s enthusiasm at the Australian Open ended as he retired injured in the fourth round against Spanish third seed Carlos Alcaraz.
Draper, seeded 15th, had a match against four-time major champion Alcaraz trailing 7-5, 6-1 on a hot day in Melbourne.
The 23-year-old left-hander, who came into the tournament with a hip injury, required off-court treatment after the first set before leaving the contest when the second set was abandoned early.
He raised both hands to the crowd and apologized before leaving Rod Laver Arena in a warm embrace.
Draper, who went through a tough three matches over five sets to reach the fourth round, was the only Briton to reach the last 16 of either men’s or women’s singles.
“Despite how much playing I did, I surprisingly didn’t perform well,” Draper said.
Prior to this Australian Open campaign, he had not played competitively since late October.
“I was really sad after playing my last match because I was managing this hip thing,” Draper said.
“I honestly didn’t expect to make it this far. The amount of hours I’ve played has taken a toll on my body.”
The 21-year-old Alcaraz was far from his best during their encounter, but he continued his bid to become the youngest person to complete a career Grand Slam in the Open era.
The reigning back-to-back Wimbledon champion, who also won the 2022 US Open and 2024 French Open, could face Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals.
Serbia’s Djokovic, aiming for a record 11th men’s singles title in Australia, will play Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Republic on Sunday.
It was natural to have doubts about Draper’s condition after being blocked by Mariano Navon, Thanasi Kokkinakis and Alexander Vucic throughout Sunday’s match.
Draper already felt a sense of satisfaction from defeating each opponent, given that questions had been raised about his durability.
But, after being interrupted in the off-season by injury!
Next match
Although he managed to continue after a long medical timeout, he decided at the end of the one-sided second set that there was no point in aggravating the problem any further.
“It wasn’t ideal to finish like this,” said Draper, who explained that his tournament preparations began only 10 days before his opening match.
“By the third game, I felt like I was really sore in a lot of areas – especially the hip.”
Asked if he was considering not playing at all, he said, “We were managing it. It didn’t surprise me before my last match, but obviously I got there and it was OK.” Put.”
“Maybe it’s a little time bomb, considering I had no preparation and no work for my body.”
Winning the Australian Open title this year would mean Alcaraz would break the record set by his idol Rafael Nadal, who became the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam when he was 24 in 2010.
To help him do this and take his level to new heights, the young Spaniard has reworked his serve.
After hitting 14 aces in his second-round match, Alcaraz joked that he had become a “servbot” – a player who crushes opponents with the power of his initial shot.
Against Draper, it was clear his serve was still a work in progress.
Carlos Alcaraz news: Jack Draper retires after thigh injury,Next match
Alcaraz’s first serve percentage was well below 40% after five games, and two double faults in the fifth game helped Draper earn two break points, which the Briton could not take.
This seemed important as Draper’s serve had broken down in the sixth game and he too was facing severe pressure.
But any thoughts that Alcaraz would run away with the set proved unfounded.
More double faults and a flurry of unforced errors showed Alcaraz’s tension, allowing Draper to storm back in the ninth game and hold on more confidently to tie the set.
When Alcaraz held a 6-5 lead, he eased his tension with a visceral “vamos” and then came back to take the opening set.
