Draper stuns Djokovic to reach Indian Wells quarterfinals
Jack Draper produced one of the biggest victories of his career on Wednesday at the BNP Paribas Open, defeating five-time champion Novak Djokovic 4–6, 6–4, 7–6(5) to continue his title defence at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament.
The British left-hander advanced to the quarter-finals after a dramatic three-set battle, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
Playing in only his second ATP Tour event since last August’s US Open, Draper showed resilience despite failing to serve out the match at 5–4 in the deciding set.
The tense encounter saw both players push each other to their physical limits before Draper eventually secured victory in a tie-break.
“I came out here tonight and won that match through determination, trying to solve problems, doing my best and keeping a great attitude,” Draper said during his on-court interview.
He added that he was proud of how he regrouped during difficult moments, noting that he had not played regularly on the tour for some time. Draper said defeating top-level opponents requires confidence and that overcoming the challenging moments of the match was something he could be proud of.
The contest featured powerful baseline exchanges from both players. One of the standout moments came in the opening game of the deciding set when Djokovic won a spectacular 26-shot rally at 30-all. The point drew a standing ovation from the crowd and set the tone for the remainder of the match, as the two players continued to engage in increasingly demanding rallies throughout the night.
The Serbian visibly struggled at times to recover his breath after several extended rallies. Meanwhile, Draper improved his level, striking the ball with increasing authority and refusing to yield in the heat of battle. Djokovic earned a 0/40 lead when Draper served for the match at 5-4 in the decider, eventually earning a break, but the 24-year-old quickly rebounded and held his nerve in the deciding-set tie-break.
"For me to be on court again these last few weeks has been emotional for me and I’m really grateful for it," Draper said. "To come out here against Novak, for me the greatest tennis player there is, and someone I’ve been admiring and watching since I was a little kid. To do that, I’m just incredibly proud of myself."
With his win, Draper improved to 1-1 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with 101-time tour-level titlist Djokovic. Wednesday's clash marked their first encounter since Wimbledon in 2021, when Draper was outside the Top 200 of the PIF ATP Rankings.
Last season, Draper enjoyed a career-best year during which he reached a career-high No. 4 in the PIF ATP Rankings. However, the three-time tour-level titlist shut down his season prematurely in September due to an arm injury. Draper returned to competition last month in a Davis Cup tie against Norway before playing the ATP 500 event in Dubai.
Now with the pressure of defending his biggest career title, the 14th seed is passing the test with flying colours. Up next for Draper is two-time finalist Daniil Medvedev, who beat American Alex Michelsen 6-2, 6-4. Medvedev beat Draper in their lone meeting two years ago in Rome.
Djokovic was aiming to join rivals Roger Federer (13) and Rafael Nadal (12) as the only men to reach 10 Indian Wells quarter-finals in tournament history. The 38-year-old departs California with a 7-2 season record, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. Djokovic reached the Australian Open final, only falling to World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz.
By Nijat Babayev
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