JAKARTA - The efforts of former world number one tennis player, Novak Djokovic, to get his sixth title from the Indian Wells event in this year's edition were successfully thwarted by defending champion Jack Draper in the 16th round.
Draper, who is the 14th seed in the biggest tournament outside the four Grand Slams, bounced back from the first set to win 4-6, 6-4, and 7-6 (5) on Thursday, March 12, 2026, Indonesian time.
"I'm proud of the way I came back. I haven't played on the ATP Tour for a long time. So, being able to beat top players is something that comes along with (increasing) confidence (I have)," Draper said after the victory, quoted by the ATP website.
The defeat ended Djokovic's hopes of returning to the quarter-finals of the Masters 1000 tournament since he last won his fifth title in 2016.
This victory makes Draper improve his win-loss record to 1-1 versus Djokovic. This year's Indian Wells 16-year-old match marked their second clash since Wimbledon 2021 when Draper was still in the top 200.
"Being able to play against Novak, for me the greatest tennis player ever, and someone I've admired and watched since I was a kid. Then, being able to beat him makes me very proud of myself," said the 24-year-old British tennis player.
Draper enjoyed the best year of his career last season when he managed to reach the fourth spot in the world, which was the highest in his career. However, the three-time winner at the tour level ended his season early in September 2025 due to an arm injury.
He then returned to compete last month in a Davis Cup match against Norway before playing in an ATP 500 tournament in Dubai.
Draper has been waiting for Daniil Medvedev in the quarterfinals. The 11th-seeded Russian advanced smoothly after defeating the host's representative, Alex Michelsen, with a final score of 6-2 and 6-4.
The sweet result was also obtained by world number one Carlos Alcarez. The Spanish player managed to secure an eighth-final ticket for the fifth time in a row at Indian Wells after winning 6-1 and 7-6(2) over Casper Ruud.
Alcaraz, who won his seventh Grand Slam at the 2026 Australian Open in January, will next face Cameron Norrie in the last eight. The British player defeated Rinki Hijikata 6-4 and 6-2.
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