Jack Draper will play Carlos Alcaraz for a place in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open after the British No. 1 fought back from 2-1 down for the third straight match to beat home favorite Aleksandar Vukic in an epic five-set tie.
In a thrilling encounter that lasted just four hours, Draper cruised to a 6-4 2-6 5-7 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (10-8) victory shortly before 1am Melbourne time to clinch for the first time the fourth round of the tournament.
Draper got the match off to a flying start, winning four games on the bounce to take the opening set, fighting back by breaking straight away.
But unseeded Australian Vukic, far from wilting in front of a fervent home support, the 28-year-old – in the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time – himself rattled off five straight games to storm through in the second set and level the match.
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Britain's Jack Draper claimed the biggest win of his career with a straight sets win over defending champion Carlos Alcaraz at Queen's 2024.
An increasingly flustered Draper smashed his racket shortly after a double fault gave his opponent a crucial break in the 11th game of a tight set, Vukic, in contrast, kept his cool and closed it out with an ace.
Then in the fourth set it was reversed, Draper fending off three break points on Vukic's serve, before having to parry five of his own in his next two service games.
Neither player could capitalize and Draper also missed two set points as Vukic forced a tie-break, before the Brit finally cashed in during a tight and tense break.
The deciding set also went the distance, despite an early break by Draper and four chances in the second. Vukic regrouped and broke the Briton's serve to restore parity.
It was the same in the tie-break of the final set, with an early break by Draper and a quick 3-0 lead overturned. But in the end, the 15th seed forced an opening and won a memorable contest thanks to a strong serve on his second match point.
Draper is coming off the deepest streak of his career at Grand Slam tournaments, after reaching the final four of last year's US Open. He will meet third seed and four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz in the round of 16.
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After his run to the semi-finals of the US Open, Martina Navratilova believes Jack Draper can continue to go far in the Grand Slams in 2025.
“I thought it was done and then he just came back from the dead,” Draper said after the win over Vikic. “It was just a big battle, two competitors fighting and that's what sport is all about.
“My body doesn't feel very good, but luckily I have good physiotherapy. Mentally I was very competitive and I liked the atmosphere… it gave me a lot of energy to keep pushing and surprising myself.”
Draper trails Alcaraz 2-1 on the pair's record but won their last match at Queen's Club last year, 7-6 (7-3) 6-3.
“Carlos is a special talent, an amazing player and someone I have a good friendship with,” Draper said of his next opponent. “It's going to be an amazing match; I hope my body picks up, I can do my best and it's going to be a great competition.”
Briton Fearnley loses to 2nd seed Zverev
Another British hopeful Jacob Fearnley's excellent debut at the Australian Open ended with a straight sets loss to second seed Alexander Zverev in the third round.
Jacob Fearnley said he learned a lot playing against experienced players at the Australian Open
The 23-year-old Scot continues to move comfortably at the higher levels of the professional game and did not look out of place against one of the tournament favorites at the Margaret Court Arena.
But he was unable to sustain sustained pressure on Zverev, who wrapped up a 6-3 6-4 6-4 victory in two hours and two minutes.
Fearnley hit slightly more winners, with his forehand causing constant problems for Zverev, but there were also 34 unforced errors compared to just 15 for the German.
Still, it was a great week for Fearnley, who beat Nick Kyrgios and the Australian crowd in the first round before coming from a set down to see off Arthur Cazaux in the second round.
Zverev shakes hands with Fearnley after winning the third round at the Australian Open
“I thought I played good tennis, some good moments, some bad moments,” Fearnley said. “I don't think there was too much in it. Just a few points here and there.
“I think that's what those top guys do so well. They keep their composure and their basic level stays the same throughout the match. Mine was pretty up and down, which cost me the match.
Less than eight months into his professional tennis career, Fearnley will break into the world's top 80 after the tournament, and will surely go higher with no points to defend until June.
The 23-year-old acquitted himself very well against Novak Djokovic on his Grand Slam debut at Wimbledon last year, taking a set from the Serb and almost forcing a decision.
“It's a big confidence boost, knowing I can compete with some of the best players in the world, it's really cool to see,” added Fearnley.
“He (Zverev) is No. 2 in the world, probably playing some of the best tennis on the planet right now. So to get that experience, I learned a lot about my game, about what I need to do better.”
After the win, Zverev also reserved praise for his opponent, saying: “I think he's an amazing player, he's been through all the stages. I have a lot of respect for him and the effort he's put into the sport, and he's going I think he's going to get better in the next few years .”
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Djokovic beat Machac and entered the fourth round
Novak Djokovic advanced to the fourth round with his most assured performance of the tournament so far, a 6-1 6-4 6-4 victory over 26th seed Tomas Machac.
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Watch highlights as Novak Djokovic defeats Czech Tomas Machac in straight sets 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 to reach his 17th Australian Open fourth round
The record 24-time Grand Slam champion – a 10-time winner in Melbourne – was broken just once and converted five of his 15 chances on Machak's serve.
It was Djokovic's first win in a row at this year's Australian Open, after he was pushed to four in the first round by 19-year-old Ninesh Basavareddy, and again by 21-year-old Jaime Faria in the second round – both made their Slam debuts.
One slight worry for Djokovic's camp, of which Andy Murray is now part as his coach, came after the opening game of the second set on Rod Laver Arena, when the 37-year-old looked uncomfortable and clutched the right side of his ribcage.
Then, after switching ends, he took the unusual step of taking a seat on his side bench instead of just walking around the net to the opposite baseline.
In the very next game, Djokovic missed a drop shot and scored 15-40, then leaned forward and put his hands on his knees. Macak then took advantage of the first break chance for a 2:0 lead in that set when Djokovic missed a difficult volley.
But Djokovic immediately broke, called the doctor, then rattled off the next three games en route to a comfortable victory.
“I was trying to catch my breath,” Djokovic said in an on-court interview, laughing at the incident. “I'm not 19 anymore.”
In the round of 16, the Serb will meet another Czech in the 24th seed Jirži Lehecko.
Alcaraz advanced past Borges to the last
Carlos Alcaraz celebrates after defeating Nuno Borges in the Australian Open third round match
Alcaraz lost his first set of the tournament, but the third seed still managed to get through the third round after defeating Portugal's Nuno Borges 6-2 6-4 6-7 (7-3) 6-2 in just under three hours.
“I missed Rod Laver (Arena). I'm really happy to play here again,” Alcaraz said after the match.
“I tried to show my best tennis here. It was a pleasure for me every time I stepped on this court. The last time I played here I lost (to Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals in 2024), so I really wanted to play here myself and get another win here at Rod Laver.”
A break in the first game set the tone against world No. 33 Borges, with Alcaraz dominating on serve from the start, dropping just six points on serve in each of the first two sets.
Alcaraz is aiming to complete his career Grand Slam at the Australian Open, having already won Wimbledon twice (2023, 2024), as well as the US Open in 2022 and the French Open last year.
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