Carlos Alcaraz’s bid for a historic third straight Indian Wells title came crashing down on Saturday as the young Spaniard admitted nerves got the better of him in his shock semi-final defeat to Jack Draper.
The 21-year-old was aiming to join tennis greats Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic in achieving a rare “three-peat” at the tournament but instead suffered a rollercoaster 6-1, 0-6, 6-4 loss to the rising British star.
After the match, Alcaraz revealed that his frustration stemmed more from his own mental struggles than the result itself.
“I’m not as upset about not getting the third one in a row,” he said. “I’m upset about myself, about the way that I approached the match, the way that I felt during the whole day, that I couldn’t calm down myself.”
An Uncharacteristic Mental Battle
Alcaraz was completely off his game in the opening set, admitting it was “probably one of the worst sets” he had ever played. Draper capitalized on the Spaniard’s shaky start, dominating with his aggressive baseline play.
Although Alcaraz responded with a flawless second-set bagel, he struggled to maintain his composure in the decider.
“When you’re thinking more about the opponent than yourself, then it’s a big problem,” he said. “He’s really tough, really solid, and it was going to be a really physical match.”
It was Draper’s second victory over Alcaraz in five meetings, and this one will sting given what was at stake for the Spaniard.
Eyes on Miami for Redemption
Despite the disappointment, the four-time Grand Slam champion vowed to use the setback as motivation heading into the Miami Open, a tournament he won in 2022.
“I consider myself a person who learns from failures, from losses,” Alcaraz said. “The last time I lost here in the semi-finals, I went on to win Miami. So I’ll go for it again.”
With Miami on the horizon, Alcaraz will be eager to bounce back and prove that this defeat was just a temporary setback in his quest for more titles.
