Jack Draper described his hip problem as a “ticking time bomb” after limping out of his Australian Open fourth-round clash with Carlos Alcaraz. The British number one came into the tournament with little preparation after struggling with a flare-up of tendinitis, which he admitted he was still having to manage, during pre-season.

Carlos Alcaraz has reached his 10th career Grand Slam quarterfinal, tied for the most by a man before his 22nd birthday, by advancing at the Australian Open when 15th-seeded Jack Draper stopped playing because of injury after dropping the first two sets of their fourth-round match.

It was the second time Draper had retired injured against Alcaraz, having cut short their 2023 match at Indian Wells due to an abdominal strain.