By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Thursday, May 1, 2025
Photo credit: Mutua Madrid Open Facebook
Thriving from desert to dirt, Jack Draper is an imposing all-surface threat.
Indian Wells champion Draper swept to a double Madrid milestone today rising into the ATP Top 5 and his first Tour-level clay-court semifinal.
A dynamic Draper defeated Matteo Arnaldi 6-0, 6-4 flying into the Mutua Madrid Open semifinals and surpassing Novak Djokovic to rise to a career-high No. 5 in the rankings.
The left-handed Draper dictated play winning 11 of 14 second-serve points. Draper did not face a break point in a confident 77-minute win that propels him into history.
Draper joins former No. 1 Andy Murray, former No. 4 Tim Henman and former No. 4 Greg Rusedski as the fourth British man in Open Era history to crack the Top 5.
Indian Wells champion Draper swept to a double Madrid milestone today rolling into the ATP Top 5 and his first Tour-level clay-court semifinal.
“I feel stronger every time I play,” Draper told Sky Sports in his post-match interview. “The last couple of years coming onto the clay I felt against these guys I’d always be the one on the back foot, I’d always be the one defending.
“The next part of my game was just getting strong, getting more capable physically to do the things I know I can do and bully these guys. My forehand is doing a lot of damage and I want to keep it up.”
The fifth-seeded Draper has not dropped a set in tournament wins over Tallon Griekspoor, Matteo Berrettini, Tommy Paul and Arnaldi.
Draper will face either towering 6’8″ Canadian lucky loser Gabriel Diallo or Monte-Carlo finalist Lorenzo Musetti for a spot in Sunday’s final.
Arnaldi slapped a low backhand into the net as Draper broke again charing to a 5-0 lead after 22 minutes.
Launching himself into a ferocious forehand, Draper served out a dominant shutout set at love.
The Indian Wells champion served 75 percent and won 10 of 12 first-serve points in the 25-minute opening set.
Arnaldi’s compulsion for the drop shot cost him the crucial break in game five of the second set. First, he bumped a forehand dropper into net to face a break point.
Stubbornly going back to the dropper, Arnaldi put too much air on a rainbow dropper, a streaking Draper drilled a backhand crosscourt and broke for 3-2—with a big helping hand from his opponent’s vapid shot selection.
