Jack Draper defeats Novak Djokovic in three sets at Indian Wells

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — Reigning champion Jack Draper came back from a set down to defeat five-time champion Novak Djokovic 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5) on Wednesday night during the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open.

The 24-year-old Draper, returning after an eight-month hiatus due to an arm injury, progressed to the quarterfinals where he will compete against Daniil Medvedev, who secured his spot by defeating Alex Michelsen 6-2, 6-4 in the round of 16.

Djokovic, the third seed, was ahead 6-5 in the third set before Draper mounted a comeback and pushed the match into a tiebreaker.

“I still don’t feel like I’m playing anywhere near the way I want to play,” Draper stated. “I came out here and I won that match through determination.”

Alongside his victory at Indian Wells last year, the 14th-seeded Draper also claimed titles at the Stuttgart Open and the Vienna Open, both in 2024.

The 38-year-old Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam titleholder, triumphed at Indian Wells in 2008, 2011, 2014, 2015, and 2016. Djokovic came close to securing an 11th Australian Open title earlier this year but was defeated by Carlos Alcaraz.

Source: espn.com