Resilient Alcaraz comes through Draper test to reach Italian Open semi-finals
The Spaniard defeated Jack Draper 6-4, 6-4 to reach the last four in Rome for the first time. He’ll play Lorenzo Musetti for a place in the final
Carlos Alcaraz, Italian Open, 2025 © Tristan Lapierre / Tennis Majors
Carlos Alcaraz continued his career-best run in Rome by coming through a stern test against Jack Draper, defeating the Briton 6-4, 6-4 to move into the semi-finals at the Foro Italico.
The Spaniard improves his head-to-head record against Draper to 4-2 and ensures he will return to No 2 in the world rankings ahead of Roland-Garros, crucially meaning he cannot meet world No 1 Jannik Sinner until the final in Paris.
Draper’s recent scintillating form means he has surged to fifth in the ATP rankings, but he missed the chance to pip Taylor Fritz to fourth, as another impressive clay-tournament campaign came to an end.
up-and-down contest goes the way of Alcaraz
Today was a grinding affair at times, with moments of sheer brilliance from both frequently mixed with patchy periods as neither player managed to maintain their very best form for extended stretches.
A bright start for Draper rapidly evaporated as a 4-2 lead turned into 6-4, with Alcaraz winning four games in a row courtesy of some excellent returning.
The pair exchanged breaks in the sixth and seventh games, with the Spaniard quickly erasing Draper’s early advantage. Alcaraz then struck again in the ninth game to earn the chance to serve for the set, saving two break points in that final game to close out the opening set impressively.
Draper was struggling to hit through the court on his usually ferocious forehand, while his serve failed to do enough damage against an opponent with formidable clay-court defensive skills.
That trend carried into the start of the second set, with Alcaraz breaking to love in the opening game as he continued to grow increasingly comfortable throughout the contest.
But Draper showed remarkable composure to drag himself back into contention by breaking straight back, whilst upping his first-serve percentage in his own service games to return the competitive nature to the encounter.
The Spaniard came under sustained service pressure from his opponent for the remainder of the match, none more so than in a lengthy eighth game during which Alcaraz fended off two break points before holding serve. That resilience proved a crucial momentum-swinger, as the world No 3 broke to love in the following game before serving out a testing win.
alcaraz feeling good as his clay-court campaign gathers momentum
“I just feel like I’m playing great tennis on clay,” the Spaniard said in his on-court interview following victory.
“I think I started the clay season really well. It was a shame I got injured after Barcelona. It’s always difficult to be in shape for the whole swing, for all the tournaments.
“I just have to accept it, keep going. Try to recover as well as I can. I’m happy I’m feeling the good rhythm and feeling the good tennis again on clay here in Rome. These matches give me a lot of confidence.”
Despite the disappointment of missing a home tournament in Madrid, Alcaraz’s 2025 clay-court season so far reads very impressively. A maiden champion in Monte-Carlo and a finalist in Barcelona where injury hampered his chances against Holger Rune, the Spaniard now has a first Italian Open title very much in his sights.
Alcaraz will face in-form home hope Lorenzo Musetti in the last four, as his search for the only major clay-court title to still elude him looks to be gathering pace and purpose.
