Draper edges Djokovic in dramatic Indian Wells marathon
Jack Draper edged out Novak Djokovic 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5) on Thursday night. He’ll play Russian Daniil Medvedev, the No 11 seed, in the next round
Jack Draper and Novak Djokovic, Indian Wells 2025 | © Zuma / PsNewz
Englishman No 14 seed Jack Draper defeated Serbian No 3 seed Novak Djokovic 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5) to secure a place in the BNP Paribas Open quarterfinals on Thursday night.
The match lasted 2h37 and concluded as one of the most physically demanding encounters of the tournament thus far. Draper managed to overcome the legendary resilience of the world No 3 despite several momentum shifts that threatened to derail his progress in the desert.
Although Djokovic utilized his vast experience to navigate a difficult opening set, he could not maintain the same level of precision during the critical stages of the second and third. The atmosphere in the stadium reached a fever pitch as the two competitors traded high-intensity rallies from the baseline until the final point. The result marks a significant breakthrough for the young Englishman as the defending Indian Wells champion continues his resurgence on the professional circuit.
Draper sets up quarterfinal clash against Medvedev
This victory propels Draper into a quarterfinal matchup against Russian Daniil Medvedev, the No 11 seed.
“Yeah, it was a crazy match”, Draper said. “I think both of us gave it our all. From my side, started off, like, a bit passive, and then as the match went on, I definitely was able to be more aggressive, take control of the points on my terms. Just overwhelmed to obviously beat Novak, someone I have watched and admired and idolized since I was a kid.”
The match turned on a series of missed opportunities for the Serbian veteran during the latter stages of the contest. Leading 4 games to 3 in the second set, Djokovic was at 40-40 on Draper’s serve but failed to secure the break that likely would have allowed him to serve for a two-setter win.
Draper responded by raising his aggression and forcing a decider through sheer physical effort. While Djokovic found his energy again in the third set, he could not capitalize when the pressure was at its highest. Serving twice at 5-4 in the tie-break, Djokovic missed a serious chance to prevail as he committed unforced errors that allowed Draper to break back.
The tension peaked during a final set tie-break that could not have been closer. The players were locked at 5-5 in the third set tie breaker when Draper produced a courageous backhand to earn a match point.
“Im just very grateful to be in this situation”, Draper added. “I think the mindset going into the tiebreak was that I needed to be brave. I needed to keep good speed on my ball. I physically handled it really, really well. And also just, yeah, like I said, just mentally being in these positions again, it’s even more tiring when you haven’t done it for a while.”
Djokovic reflected on the fine margins after the match, noting that the loss came down to a single point. Although the Serb won one more total point than his opponent over the course of the evening, he was unable to find his best tennis during the decisive tie-break.
Djokovic said : “It’s bitter feeling right now, losing a match like this. But proud of myself for fighting and really giving it all on the court. That’s for sure. That’s the one thing that I’ll take as a highlight, you know, just the fact of not giving up and trying. I wish I could have done better, but it was a good fight.”
