Jack Draper and Novak Djokovic delivered one of the season’s most gripping rallies during their bruising Indian Wells battle. The Brit stunned the five-time champion 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(5) to march into the ATP Masters 1000 quarterfinals. Yet afterward, the Serbian did not sugarcoat the moment, opening up about the collapse that completely drained him.

Novak Djokovic spoke about the turning point of the match during his post-match press conference. “Yeah, I mean, it cost me a break after, you know. It was great winning that point in that game, but I just, like, ran completely out of gas and just started to feel a bit better towards basically end of the third.”

However, after the match today, when a Serbian journalist asked Djokovic if he had experienced breathing issues during the contest, the former world No. 1 explained that the discomfort began elsewhere.

“My stomach, mostly my stomach, and then it creates a problem with breathing. But, it’s all good, I don’t really want to talk about that now.” Despite the physical discomfort, Djokovic focused mainly on the disappointment of the loss. He admitted that the match came down to a very small margin.

The third seed had started the match strongly. The Serbian secured the opening set 6-4 after breaking Draper in the tenth game. At that stage, he looked in control of the contest.

However, Draper responded with determination in the second set. The British player broke Djokovic twice to claim the set 6-4. That forced the fourth-round clash into a deciding third set.

The most dramatic moment arrived early in the final set. With the score at 30-30 on Djokovic’s serve in the opening game, the two players engaged in a brutal rally. The point lasted 26 shots and demanded everything from both competitors. The crowd watched in amazement as the rally continued with relentless intensity.

“You won’t see a better point,” retired player Jim Courier said on the radio broadcast. Another commentator added during the viral clip, “In your life have you seen anything like it?”

Djokovic eventually won the remarkable point. Draper later created a break point in the same game, but Djokovic managed to save it. The Serbian held serve to move ahead 1-0 in the final set.

Despite that effort, the rally seemed to take a heavy toll on him. After Draper comfortably held his serve, the Brit broke Djokovic to take a 2-1 lead. Although Djokovic later broke back, Draper stayed calm under pressure.

The match eventually moved into a tense tiebreak. Draper held his nerve and secured the victory to reach the quarterfinals. Djokovic admitted afterward that the result came down to a few costly errors.

“He played a sloppy game to close it out 5-4, and, you know, I got the crowd, you know, backing me, and I felt the energy. It was, like, maybe I’m gonna take this one. It was so close, so close. I mean, just unfortunate few mistakes from my side. Tiebreak, 4-3 up. 5-All, as well. That’s tennis.”

For the 38-year-old, running out of energy during long rallies is becoming more noticeable with age. Similar moments have appeared in recent seasons during demanding matches.

After his defeat at the US Open last year against Carlos Alcaraz, Djokovic also admitted that he had “run out of gas” during their intense three-set battle.

However, he also appeared dissatisfied after the match, which ultimately held him back from answering questions at the end.

Novak Djokovic makes honest confession after loss to Draper

Before facing Jack Draper at Indian Wells, Novak Djokovic had played the Brit only once. That meeting came back in 2021 at Wimbledon. On Centre Court, Djokovic defeated the then 20-year-old Draper 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2.

Draper’s recent victory over the Serbian marked one of the biggest wins of his career. The result carried even more weight because he had recently returned from injury. A bone bruise in his arm had kept him off the court for several months.

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“What remains is the disappointment after such a loss. One point, just a few strokes, decided the winner tonight. I didn’t even know that I won one more point against today’s opponent. But the disappointment remains because I gave it my all.”

From Draper’s perspective, the victory meant a great deal. Defeating a legend of the sport was a special moment for the young British player. “Just an incredible feeling. I’m out here against Novak, to me the greatest tennis player there is, and someone I’ve been admiring and watching since I was a little kid.”

Draper will now face Daniil Medvedev in the next round. The young Brit will hope to continue his impressive run at the tournament.

Meanwhile, Djokovic is turning his attention to the upcoming Miami Open. Last year, he reached the final there before losing to Jakub Mensik. With many ranking points to defend, the Serbian will aim to bounce back strongly.

Do you think Djokovic can now go deep at the Miami Open and build momentum heading into the European clay-court season?