



In the fourth round of the Australian Open, Jack Draper will face Carlos Alcaraz. Here’s my analysis and prediction—does the British player have enough left in the tank to challenge the Spanish star?
Jack Draper
The Brit has started his season with no warm-up tournaments, diving straight into the Australian Open. While Draper has made it to the fourth round, it’s been an arduous journey, with all his matches going to five sets.
In the first round, Draper overcame Argentina’s Navone 4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2. He then defeated Thanasi Kokkinakis in a grueling match, coming back from 1-2 in sets and trailing 1-3 in the fourth, ultimately staging a remarkable comeback. His third-round clash against Vukic was equally intense, ending 6-4, 2-6, 5-7, 7-6, 7-6. Ranked 18th in the world, the 23-year-old has shown resilience but has expended significant energy along the way.
Carlos Alcaraz
The Spanish phenom is one of the most dominant players of his generation. At just 21 years old, Alcaraz has already claimed four Grand Slam titles and briefly held the world No. 1 ranking. Currently ranked third, he has his sights set on completing his Grand Slam collection by winning the Australian Open.
So far, Alcaraz has cruised through the tournament. He defeated Kazakhstan’s Alexander Shevchenko 6-1, 7-5, 6-1 in the first round, followed by a demolition of Yoshihito Nishioka 6-0, 6-1, 6-4. In his most recent match, Alcaraz dropped a set to Portugal’s Borges but still secured a 6-2, 6-4, 6-7, 6-2 victory.
Match Facts
- Draper won 26 of his 37 matches on hard courts last season.
- Alcaraz had 26 wins in 34 hard-court matches last season.
- Odds for the match: Draper 8.76, Alcaraz 1.09.
Head-to-Head
Alcaraz leads the head-to-head 2-1. Draper’s win came on grass, while Alcaraz triumphed in their two hard-court encounters.
Prediction
Alcaraz is the clear favorite in this matchup, not just because of his higher ranking but also due to Draper’s exhausting journey through three grueling five-set matches. Draper’s form and resilience have been impressive, but maintaining his level against Alcaraz will be challenging. I expect Draper to put up a fight but struggle to sustain it, leading to a match that surpasses 30.5 total games.