TENNIS
Indian Wells

Djokovic's dramatic elimination: Jack Draper beats Novak in grueling match

Draper, the defending champion, defeated Djokovic 4-6, 6-4, 7-5(5) in two hours and 35 minutes of an exhausting match

Djokovic, lying on the court during his match with Draper.
Djokovic, lying on the court during his match with Draper.EFE

Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina all advanced to the quarter-finals of the Indian Wells tournament in the United States, on a day marked by the elimination of Novak Djokovic at the hands of Jack Draper in a dramatic duel.

World number one Alcaraz needed just 1 hour and 30 minutes to subdue Norway's Casper Ruud (No.13) 6-1, 7-6(2) in the Spaniard's 15th victory of 2026. He remains unbeaten (15-0) and with two titles under his belt: the Australian Open and the ATP 500 in Doha.

Djokovic's dramatic elimination: Jack Draper beats Novak in grueling match
Aryna Sabalenka interrupts Novak Djokovic practice with playful runway moment

The Spaniard won his first 24 points on first serve - until his fifth game of the second set - and did not concede a single break point in the whole match.

In the quarter-finals, Alcaraz will face Britain's Cameron Norrie (No. 29), who on Wednesday comfortably defeated Australia's Rinky Hijikata (No. 112) 6-4, 6-2. Alcaraz and Norrie have met eight times, with a 5-3 record in the Spaniard's favour, although the Briton has won three of their last five duels.

Dramatic match between Jack Draper and Novak Djokovic

The other quarter-final duel that was decided at Indian Wells will pit Britain's Jack Draper (No. 14) against Russia's Daniil Medvedev (No. 11).

Draper, the defending champion, defeated Serbia's Novak Djokovic 4-6, 6-4, 7-5(5) in two hours and 35 minutes of an extenuating match

Medvedev, on the other hand, defeated American Alex Michelsen (No. 44) 6-2, 6-4.

Djokovic's dramatic elimination: Jack Draper beats Novak in grueling match

Swiatek, unrivaled

The Pole, world number two and twice champion at Indian Wells (2022 and 2024), has yet to drop a set so far in the tournament. On Wednesday, she defeated Czech Karolina Muchova (No.13) 6-2, 6-0 in 1 hour and 17 minutes.

Swiatek will face Elina Svitolina (No. 9) in the quarterfinals; the Ukrainian advanced to the next round after her opponent, Czech Republic's Katerina Siniakova (No. 44), withdrew when the score was 6-1, 1-1 in Svitolina's favor.

Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina (No. 3) and American Jessica Pegula (No. 5) also advanced to the quarterfinals and will face each other on Thursday for a place in the semifinals.

Rybakina defeated Sonay Kartal (No. 54) 6-4, 4-3, at which point the Briton retired due to injury, while Pegula defeated Switzerland's Belinda Bencic (No. 12), to whom she had lost in their four previous encounters, 6-3, 7-6(5).

All the quarter-finals will be played on Thursday, with the women's semi-finals on Friday and the men's semi-finals on Saturday, before the two finals on Sunday

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