INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — Defending champion Jack Draper rallied from a set down to defeat five-time champion Novak Djokovic 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5) in the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open on Wednesday night.
The 24-year-old Draper, who is returning after eight months out with an arm injury, will advance to the quarter-finals and face Daniil Medvedev, who defeated Alex Michelsen 6-2, 6-4 in the round of 16.
Third-seeded Djokovic led 6-5 in the third set, but Draper rallied to force a tiebreak.
“I still don’t feel like I’m playing close to how I want to play,” Draper said. “I came here and won that game through determination.”
In addition to his win at Indian Wells last year, the 14th-seeded Draper also won the Stuttgart Open and Vienna Open in 2024.
The 38-year-old Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion, won Indian Wells in 2008, 2011, 2014, 2015 and 2016. Djokovic was on the verge of winning his 11th Australian Open earlier this year, but lost to Carlos Alcaraz.
“It was a crazy game,” Draper said at a press conference in California. “I think we both gave our best.
“I was just thrilled to obviously get a win against Novak, who I’ve watched and admired and admired since I was a kid. I’m really grateful to be in this situation and I’ll be fighting again tomorrow.”
“I’m really proud of where my game is at,” said Draper, who will face in-form No. 11 seed Medvedev on Thursday night.
“To be honest, I told my coach that I think my level could be better. I think it’s more about the mentality on the court than the tennis.”
“It’s tough when you haven’t been on the court for a while, especially playing against the best, top players in the world again. They make you feel uncomfortable.
“And today is a big win, but it’s also a small win in terms of me recovering and getting back to playing and being the type of player I want to be.”
Djokovic praised Draper’s performance, saying: “He’s playing really well. He’s confident, he’s always had confidence, and he’s been very fit physically. Overall, a great player, a great guy. I wish him the best of luck for the rest of the tournament.”
PA contributed to this report.
