Carlos Alcaraz Marches to Australian Open Quarters After Jack Draper’s Shocking Retirement!

 

Carlos Alcaraz Advances to Australian Open Quarter-Finals as Jack Draper Retires

Carlos Alcaraz remains on track for a thrilling Australian Open quarter-final clash with Novak Djokovic after Jack Draper was forced to retire during their fourth-round match on Sunday.

The Spanish third seed was in full control when Draper, exhausted after a grueling tournament run, had to call it quits while trailing 7-5, 6-1 under the scorching sun at Rod Laver Arena. Draper, seeded 15th, had battled through five-set matches in each of his first three rounds, spending nearly 13 hours on court—more than double Alcaraz's six. The physical toll finally caught up with him.

"It's not the way I wanted to win, but obviously, I'm happy to reach another quarter-final here in Australia," Alcaraz said. "At the same time, I feel sad for Jack. He's a great guy, and he didn't deserve to go out like that."

Draper had previously withdrawn from the United Cup due to a hip injury, and it seemed to trouble him again in Melbourne.

For Alcaraz, this marks his second consecutive quarter-final appearance at the Australian Open. However, he has yet to advance beyond this stage, having fallen to Alexander Zverev in 2024. To make it further this year, he'll have to overcome either top seed Djokovic or Czech rising star Jiri Lehecka, who were set to face off later.

The Australian Open remains the only missing piece in Alcaraz's Grand Slam collection. Should he win the title, he would become the youngest man in the Open Era to complete a career Grand Slam and the youngest Australian Open champion since Djokovic in 2008.

"I'm happy with my level of play right now," Alcaraz said. "Both on and off the court, I feel really comfortable here. Physically, I'm in great shape, and at this stage of a Grand Slam, that’s crucial because the matches only get tougher. But I'm ready."

Draper had defeated Alcaraz in their last encounter on grass at Queen’s Club in 2024. However, under the blazing Melbourne sun, Alcaraz’s powerful groundstrokes proved too much for the Brit. The first set remained competitive until Alcaraz seized a break in the sixth game. Draper fought back briefly to level at 5-4, but Alcaraz quickly regained control and closed out the set.

The second set was even more one-sided, with Draper falling behind 3-0 and visibly struggling. Ultimately, he couldn’t continue and retired from the match, sending Alcaraz through to the last eight.