Carlos Alcaraz: “Losing Is never Easy, But This One Hurt More,” And Here Is The Reason Why I Said It!💔

Carlos Alcaraz ended his Indian Wells streak on 16 victories, falling to Jack Draper in the semi-final. The Briton ousted the Spaniard 6-1, 0-6, 6-4 in an hour and 44 minutes, reaching his first Masters 1000 final. 

Alcaraz played way below his best, taking the second set with a bagel but falling in the decider. World no. 3 described the loss as a tough one, feeling nervous on the court and struggling to present his A-game

The returners took only one game in the opening two sets. They shared them in 55 minutes before Draper stepped in and claimed the decider with a double break on his tally. Both players faced issues in their games. 

Draper faced eight of nine break point in the second set. He experienced a bagel but bounced back in the decider. The Briton claimed 44% of the return points and provided five breaks in sets one and three. 

The defending champion hit 26 winners and 29 unforced errors. Draper produced more reduced numbers, outplaying world no. 3 in service winners and from the baseline. Jack took charge and dominated the opening set with a fine performance on serve and return.

Carlos hit a double fault in the second game and experienced a break at love. He stepped onto the court without confidence, and a shaky start made things even worse. The Briton served well in games three and five and moved 4-1 in front after 16 minutes.

Draper made another push on the return in the sixth game, firing a forehand crosscourt winner for a 5-1 advantage. The lower-ranked player fired a service winner in game seven, holding at love and moving 6-1 up after 23 minutes. 

After a fluid opener, the second set saw more deuces and drama. Alcaraz stepped in and claimed the pivotal points, delivering a bagel and gathering a boost. Carlos saved a break point in the first game and generated four opportunities on the return in the next one. 

The Spaniard converted the last after the rival’s double fault, securing his first break and forging the advantage. Alcaraz held for 3-0 and provided another break in the next one after Draper’s forehand error. The defending champion held for 5-0 and made another push on the return in the next one. 

Carlos hit a backhand down the line return winner on the third set point, providing a bagel and gathering a boost ahead of the decider. Jack left that setback behind and served well in the opening three games of the final set. 

 He broke Alcaraz at 15 in the third game with a backhand winner, moving in front and gaining confidence. Draper served well in games four and six for a 4-2 advantage. The Spaniard experienced another setback in the seventh game. 

The defending champion wasted five game points and lost serve after a forced error to find himself 5-2 down. Jack served for the win in game eight and suffered a break at 15, missing a chance to earn a notable victory.

 Alcaraz held in game nine with a service winner, reducing the gap to 5-4. A left-hander served for the win in game ten and landed a forehand winner for 30-15. He created two match points with a service winner and landed another on the first to seal the deal and secure a notable victory. 

“I have to admit; this loss hurts. Losing a match is never easy, but this one was very special for me. It was tough, with a lot of nerves on the table. What could I have done better? I should have played my tennis and step on the court less nervious