Can Carlos Alcaraz Get Revenge Against Jack Draper?

It is crunch time at the Italian Open, and Carlos Alcaraz is its focal point. The Spaniard is in the quarterfinals of the Rome Masters for the first time in his career. He had a difficult match against Karen Khachanov in the Rome Masters Round of 16, edging him 6-3, 3-6, 7-5. As a result of this win, Alcaraz became the youngest player to reach the quarterfinals of all the major events on the ATP Tour.

Now, the real test awaits as he plays Jack Draper. It will be the No. 3 seed against the No. 5 seed, and both players have shown incredible form this season. Considering the event is still only in the quarterfinal stage, this match has the makings of being one of the best matches of the year.

What Has Carlos Alcaraz Said About Jack Draper?

In an interview with tennis.com, Alcaraz shared his urgency for the match. He said, “I’m just ready. I’m just looking forward to playing against him. He’s one of the best players in the world right now. The results show how good is playing lately. Yeah, I just want to take revenge from Indian Wells. I will try to be more ready than Indian Wells. It is going to be an interesting match to watch and to play.”

Alcaraz and Draper have had success so far this season. The British player won the first Masters 1000 event of the season at Indian Wells, beating Holger Rune in the final. He also reached the finals of the Madrid Open, where he lost to Casper Ruud. Alcaraz won his sixth career Masters 1000 title at Monte Carlo, but has been out of action since losing in the Barcelona Open.

The duo most recently met in the Indian Wells semifinal. The British player won a strange affair with a score of 6-1, 0-6, 6-4 en route to winning his first Masters 1000 title of the season. The Spaniard has that match on his mind and will look to reverse the result in the Italian capital.

Final Thoughts

Alcaraz and Draper will be two of the best players heading into Roland Garros. However, their encounter at the Italian Open gives both a chance to have a psychological edge going into the clay slam. Both of them will be looking to understand each other better and have the best preparation for the French Open. It should be noted that Alcaraz also has a chance to return to the World No. 2 ranking, allowing him to escape Jannik Sinner at least until the finals.