After two years of defending the Indian Wells title, Carlos Alcaraz was finally dethroned in this year’s edition! He faced Jack Draper in the semifinals, a rematch from their previous encounter at the Australian Open, where Draper retired due to a hip injury. Alcaraz had won that match 7-5, 6-1 and sent a heartfelt message to Draper: “You will be where you deserve. Get well soon Jack.” Now, after being defeated by the lefty, Alcaraz admitted he was upset to lose but happy for Jack. What does Carlos have to say?

On Saturday, Draper not only made it to his first-ever Masters 1000 final but will also break into the Top 10! Meanwhile, Alcaraz’s loss ended his hopes of winning three consecutive Indian Wells titles, a feat only achieved by Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. The Spaniard started the match on a 16-match winning streak, but nerves got the better of him. Leading to a loss for the first time since 2022.

However, following the match, Jack Draper celebrated his victory on Instagram. Sharing pictures from the night on Court 1 with the caption: “Huge respect to @carlitosalcarazz ..looking forward to many more battles !! Final tomorrow ⏰🔛” Alcaraz couldn’t resist leaving a cheeky response: “Can’t wait for the revange! Good luck in the final! 🙏🏽”

For the record, their head-to-head record stands at 3-2 in Alcaraz’s favor, with five previous encounters. Could we hope to see more showdowns between these two? Only time will tell. Meanwhile, some fans weren’t too pleased with Carlos’ playful jab under Jack’s celebratory post.

Fans react to Carlos Alcaraz’s playful banter with Jack Draper

One fan jokingly asked, “@carlitosalcarazz what is revange mean?😂😂😂” Possibly teasing Alcaraz about his typo in his comment to Jack. Another fan chimed in with “@carlitosalcarazz you can’t take revenge bro he owns you 😂”, emphasizing Draper’s dominance in their match. This loss was a significant upset, as Alcaraz was the two-time defending champion. He lost the first set to Draper with a score of 6-1, but he came back strong in the second set to win 6-0. However, it wasn’t meant to be, as Draper secured the win in the final set.

Some fans are questioning Alcaraz’s consistency after his recent setbacks. One fan wrote, “@carlitosalcarazz you are overrated, bro, u will never become a consistent player….” Despite being a top player, Alcaraz has faced challenges this season, including a quarterfinal loss at the Australian Open to Novak Djokovic. Although he won the Rotterdam Open in February, he lost to Jiri Lehecka in the quarters at Doha. On a more sympathetic note, “@carlitosalcarazz Carlost 😢” shows that some fans are feeling for him after his tough loss.

Alcaraz had been on a roll at Indian Wells, not losing a single set until he faced Jack Draper in the semifinals. However, his winning streak came to an abrupt end with a thrilling 6-1, 0-6, 6-4 loss to the rising British star. As Alcaraz himself noted, “This one hurts. 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.” Not all fans are critical, though.

Some are offering advice and support. “@carlitosalcarazz be humble bro?!” suggests that Alcaraz should stay grounded despite his high profile and recent setbacks. Compared to Jack, Carlos has won four Grand Slams and 17 singles titles. Additionally, while Draper is just breaking into the top 10, Alcaraz has been the World No.1 back in 2022.

Lastly, amidst the backlash, one fan prompted the Spaniard to focus on himself first. They wrote, “@carlitosalcarazz good luck in miami.relax❤️”, a heartwarming message wishing him well for his next tournament in Miami.

After a tough loss in Indian Wells, Alcaraz might need to regroup and focus on his upcoming matches. Last year, he made it to the quarterfinals in Miami before losing to Grigor Dimitrov. Will he come back and win the title this time around? Share your thoughts in the comments below!