'It hurts a lot': Draper's despair after Alcaraz swats him aside

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.

- Tumaini Carayol

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 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.