Alcaraz into quarter-finals after Draper quits with injury

Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, the No 3 seed, moved into the quarter-finals of the Australian Open when No 15 seed Jack Draper retired due to injury at Melbourne Park on Sunday.

Alcaraz, ranked No 3, led 7-5, 6-1 when Draper, ranked No 18, pulled out at Melbourne Park on Sunday. Draper missed two weeks of pre-season due to a hip injury and left the court for treatment after the first set against Alcaraz, before eventually calling it a day after the second set.

“This is not the way I want to win a match, to get through to the next round,” Alcaraz said. “I’m happy to play in another quarter-final but I am a little bit sad for Jack, he’s a nice person, he doesn’t deserve to get injured. He couldn’t prepare properly for the pre-season because of injury so I’m just a little bit sad for him. I’m sure he’ll come back stronger. I just want to wish him a speedy recovery.”

“I’m feeling great, physically”

The 21-year-old Spaniard will play the winner of the match between Serb Novak Djokovic, the No 7 seed, and No 24 seed Jiri Lehecka next.

“I just happy with the level that I’m playing. On the court, off the court I’m feeling really comfortable in Australia, which is good. Physically I am feeling really great. Coming into the second week of the Australian Open it’s good to be good physcially. I’m ready, I’m doing the right things off the court, I am just really excited about playing my second quarter-final, and hopefully get further here next year.

Alcaraz won against Kazakh Alexander Shevchenko (6-1, 7-5, 6-1), Japanese Yoshihito Nishioka (6-0, 6-1, 6-4) and Portuguese Nuno Borges (6-2, 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-2) ahead of his victory.

In the previous rounds of the first Grand Slam tournament in 2025, Jack Draper beat Argentinian Mariano Navone (4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2), Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis (6-7 (3), 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3) and Australian Aleksandar Vukic (6-4, 2-6, 5-7, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (8)).

Melbourne (Grand Slam), other last 16 results (Melbourne Park, hard, USD 60.627.573, most recent results first):

• Alex Michelsen vs. Alex De Minaur
• Gael Monfils vs. Ben Shelton
• Lorenzo Sonego vs. Learner Tien
• Jannik Sinner vs. Holger Rune
• Novak Djokovic vs. Jiri Lehecka
• Ugo Humbert vs. Alexander Zverev
• Tommy Paul (12) beat Alejandro Davidovich Fokina: 6-1, 6-1, 6-1