June 20, (THEWILL) – Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz suffered a stunning defeat at the Queen’s Club tournament in London on Thursday. The world number two was ousted by Britain’s Jack Draper in the last-16, falling 7-6 (7/3) 6-3 to the rising British star.
Alcaraz, the reigning Queen’s champion, entered the grass-court warm-up event for Wimbledon fresh from his French Open triumph at Roland Garros. However, the 21-year-old Spaniard was unable to maintain his form on the transition to grass, succumbing to Draper’s impressive performance.
For the 22-year-old Draper, currently ranked 31st in the world, this victory marks the biggest win of his career. The British number one is now bidding to become the first British men’s singles champion at Queen’s since Andy Murray claimed his fifth title at the event in 2016.
“It was a really tough match. I knew coming out here that Carlos is the defending champion, he won Wimbledon, he’s an amazing talent,” Draper said after the match. “I knew I had to come out here and play really well, and luckily I did that.”
This unexpected result adds intrigue to the upcoming Wimbledon Championships, where Alcaraz will be looking to defend his title. For Draper, who won his first ATP title in Stuttgart last week, this victory will provide a significant boost as he prepares for the grass-court Grand Slam on home soil.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
