Novak Djokovic, 38, continues to defy gravity on the tennis court.
Defending champion Jack Draper fought tooth and nail to land the Grand Slam king.
Draper defeated the five-time BNP Paribas Open champion 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(5) in a night classic at Arena 1 on Wednesday to extend his tournament winning streak to nine matches and move into second place behind Daniil Medvedev in Thursday’s quarter-finals.
“It was a crazy game,” Draper said. “I think we all gave it our all. I think from my perspective, it was a little bit passive at first and then as the game went on, I was definitely able to be more aggressive and, you know, control the score my way.
“I’m overwhelmed to be able to clearly beat Novak, who is someone I’ve watched and admired and idolized since I was a kid. So grateful to be in this situation and go tomorrow.”
It was a wild exchange, with the players splitting into two tense sets before the real fireworks in the third set.
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In the deciding set, Djokovic won a heartbreaking point with a score of 0-0, 30-all, drawing thunderous cheers from the crowd. The Serbian idol lay exhausted in the midfield, immersed in the applause, but this was too damaging to the body and Djokovic once lost his life.
He survived this, but was quickly broken.
Djokovic was tired for much of the third set but showed resilience as he held on to his serve and battled with Draper in a match that at times felt like a boxing fight.
During the match, he got a chance to equalize on Draper’s serve at 5-1.
“The biggest choke,” Draper said of the break on the court after the win. “I don’t know what the trolls on Twitter are going to say about this.”
Tensions mounted as the pair entered a tiebreak.
Djokovic looked like he might be heading for victory, but Draper put all his energy into his shots, landing a couple of powerful backhands, the last of which cut the tape on its way to the finish line for victory.
It was an exciting win for Draper, especially when we consider the opposition and the recent struggles the Brits have endured. For the first time since returning from the arm injury that cut short his 2025 season, he looked completely liberated.
“I think we’re all very grateful that he’s still on tour and still giving it his all. It’s good for us young people to still have someone to really look up to,” he said.
“I have a lot of respect for Novak. What I experienced today is beyond words.”
