Defending two-time BNP Paribas Open champion Carlos Alcaraz rode into his semifinal with Great Britain’s Jack Draper with momentum on his side. The 21-year-old Spaniard had rifled his way into the last four without losing a single set, and he looked untouchable while doing so. 

After 23 minutes of chainsaw tennis from the menacing British No. 1, Alcaraz’s momentum had dissipated.     

The World No. 2 furiously hit back, but in the end he could not overcome Draper, who powered through a riveting final set to clinch a 6-1, 0-6, 6-4 victory and book his spot in the final alongside 21-year-old Holger Rune.

“It was incredible,” Draper said of his victory. “Especially to beat Carlos on this court. He’s a great champion, and he was going for three wins on the trot here.” 

Draper’s victory puts him in his maiden Masters 1000 final, and snaps Alcaraz’s Indian Wells winning streak at 16. The Spaniard was bidding to join Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic on the list of players who have successfully completed an Indian Wells three-peat.

“This one hurts,” Alcaraz told reporters after the loss. “I don't want to lose any match, but I think this one was even more special to me. It was difficult today, a lot of nerves in the match.” 

On an idyllic Saturday at the Indian Wells Tennis garden, the pair traded blows inside the big Stadium, carving out a lopsided set apiece before both drilled down and competed in a tense decider that had the capacity crowd on the edge of their seats.

It was Draper who took the early lead, as back-to-back double-faults by Alcaraz handed Draper the break and a 2-0 lead. A botched volley by Alcaraz got Draper to 3-0 and prompted Jim Courier, who was commentating the match for Tennis Channel, to comment: “It’s only three games, but this is… shocking.”

“I think today I was more worried about his level, his game, than myself,” Alcaraz said. “That was a big problem to me, that I was always thinking about his weakness rather than my best things. When you're thinking more about the opponent than yourself, then it is a big problem.”

The No. 13 seed never blinked in set one, and he continued to show off the serve that has made him such a formidable force on tour as he clicked off games. 

The opener was over before it began, Draper closing it in 23 minutes with a love hold. 

“It was a strange match at the start,” said Draper. “He came out and made a few errors – I wasn’t expecting that.” 

Next, it was Alcaraz’s turn to catch fire. 

The clamor grew loud as Alcaraz saved a break point with a 137 MPH ace and won the next two points for a much-needed hold for 1-0. As the shadows started to creep across Stadium 1’s playing surface, Alcaraz appeared to be creeping inside of Draper’s head.

Two breaks came in rapid fashion and Alcaraz, now completely in his rhythm, soon held for 5-0. 

For good measure, Alcaraz broke again, torching a backhand return winner up the line to close the bagel set. After 54 minutes of trading blows, nothing had been decided. 

“At the start of the second I lost concentration and it seemed to go away very quickly,” Draper said. “I thought I did a good job of regrouping. It got a bit tight at the end there, but I held my nerve pretty well – I’m just unbelievably proud of my competitiveness, and my attitude.” 

Draper could have easily hung his head, having won just 6 of 16 first-serve points in that second set. Instead, he redoubled his efforts. 

A decisive moment would soon come. 

At 15-all in the third game there were two video reviews of a “not-up” call that initially went against Draper. When it was ruled that the Brit had played the ball before a second bounce, umpire Mohamed Lahyani ordered that the point be replayed. 

Draper quickly requested another video review to determine whether or not Lahyani had made his call before Alcaraz played his shot, which had landed out.

Draper won that review, was awarded the point and quickly went on to draw first blood in the set with a break for 2-1. 

It was a major turning point in the contest, but to finish off the Herculean task of defeating Alcaraz on a court he has dominated for the last three years, Draper would have to dig deep. 

He did just that. 

A ricochet volley by Draper forced an Alcaraz error, giving the Brit the 4-2 advantage.

A tug-of-war ensued in the next game and it was Draper who finally earned a break point after four deuces. The 24-year-old made the opportunity count. He took a double-break 5-2 lead when he concluded an electric rally by placing a wildly angled backhand on the sideline, which forced Alcaraz to net the reply. 

Alcaraz regained one of the breaks, but a second would not be forthcoming. 

One last giant serve from Draper forced an Alcaraz forehand long and Draper had closed the biggest win of his career in one hour and 44 minutes. The 23-year-old will rise inside the Top 10 for the first time in Monday’s rankings, but Draper more focused on Sunday’s final. 

“I’m not thinking about the Top 10 right now,” said Draper. “Obviously I’ve got tomorrow to get through – all my focus is on that.”