Jack Draper had been on an impressive run in recent weeks. He was a finalist at the Madrid Open, where he lost to Casper Ruud, and started strong at the Rome Masters 1000, advancing through his first three matches with confidence. However, his streak came to an end in the quarterfinals, when he faced Carlos Alcaraz.
The Spanish star, currently one of the best players in the world and increasingly a clay-court specialist, asserted his dominance and secured a relatively straightforward 6-4, 6-4 win to reach the semifinals in the Italian capital, where he will face Lorenzo Musetti.
“I lost to a better player,” Draper admitted after the match against Alcaraz, according to the official ATP Tour website. “It hurts a lot, this kind of loss. But Carlos played a really good match and he was the better player. I have to accept that.”
Still, Jack didn’t limit his reflection to Alcaraz’s level of play. “I’m very disappointed with the way I performed, in a way. I think from a mental and emotional point of view, you could say that’s normal, you had a tough four weeks now,” he said, before delivering a strong message. “I don’t want to be normal. I want to be right up there.”
Carlos Alcaraz advanced to the Rome Open semifinals.
Draper reflects on his recent performances
While reaching the final in Madrid and the quarterfinals in Rome are impressive results that signal a leap forward in his clay-court game, Draper explained that the physical and mental toll of a heavy match schedule may have impacted his level. “I’ve been playing the last four weeks now pretty much,” he explained.
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Carlos Alcaraz secures impressive ranking boost with win over Jack Draper ahead of Roland Garros
“I’ve been struggling a little bit to maintain my quality all throughout the matches. Today against someone like that, you can’t have those dips in your standards because you get punished,” he added, referring to Alcaraz.
Even so, the British star expressed pride in his recent level. “I’ve been playing some really good stuff. I’m really proud of the way I’ve approached the clay season, especially so far. Obviously good results. Hard to keep on going. But I know that if I want to be a top, top player, I have to be consistent week in, week out.”
Draper’s next target: Roland Garros
Jack Draper is experiencing the best clay season of his professional career, but now faces his biggest challenge yet. “I’m looking forward to going to Roland Garros because I haven’t been able to play very good tennis there in the past,” he explained. “This time hopefully it’s a good opportunity for me to go and really put my game on the court and carry on with the momentum where I left off. Definitely after today I’ll be very hungry to want to show some really good stuff there.”
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