Carlos Alcaraz earned an impressive victory against an in-form Jack Draper in the 2025 Italian Open quarter-finals — and it could have big implications.
The four-time major champion defeated world No 5 Draper 6-4, 6-4 on Centre Court at the Foro Italico.
Alcaraz came back from 2-4 down in the opening set and saved six of the eight break points he faced against the 23-year-old Brit.
The Spaniard avenged his painful three-set semi-final loss to Draper in Indian Wells in March — and he now leads the head-to-head series 4-2.
By reaching his maiden semi-final in Rome, Alcaraz has ensured he will reclaim the world No 2 position from Alexander Zverev after the tournament.
The 21-year-old has a 955 point lead over Zverev — who is the reigning Italian Open champion — in the Live ATP Rankings.
Alcaraz’s imminent return to second in the rankings is significant as it means he is guaranteed to be the No 2 seed at the French Open.
Therefore, Alcaraz will not face world No 1 Jannik Sinner before the final at Roland Garros, which could improve his chances as he looks to defend his crown in Paris.
Speaking to the media after beating Draper, Alcaraz gave his reaction to securing a top two seeding for the clay-court Grand Slam.
“I think it’s great being second seed in Roland Garros, knowing that I’m going to not see Jannik before the final, if I reach it, I think it’s great,” he said.
“It’s something that I didn’t think about it, honestly. Before coming here, the No 1, it wasn’t a goal. Knowing that, it’s a great thing.”
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Alcaraz added: “I think the most important thing that I did today was not thinking about the shots at all.
“Not thinking about the fact that I was down, just trying to do the things that make me happy. On court, I just tried to be aggressive, play good shots, drop shots, go to the net. That’s what I like to do on the court, and I think that made the difference today.
“I played such a high rhythm during the whole match that I didn’t let him dominate or stay long in the rallies. I think that was a really good win today for me, and I’m just really proud about the way I approached the match.
“I just feel that I play great tennis on clay. I started the clay season really well. Obviously, it was sad that I got injured after Barcelona, but it’s always difficult to be in shape for the whole swing.
“I’m just excited to keep it going and try to compete as well as I can. I’m just happy to feel the good rhythm, feel the good tennis again here in Rome, and obviously this match has given me a lot of confidence.”
Alcaraz will face either Zverev or Lorenzo Musetti in the last four at the Masters 1000 tournament.
Draper had the chance to climb to a new career-high ranking of world No 4 by beating Alcaraz, which would have seen him clinch a top four seeding spot at the French Open.
The world No 5 has narrowly missed out, though, as he remains just 15 points adrift of fourth-ranked Taylor Fritz.
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