Jack Draper breezes through US Open second round but there’ll be no showdown against Carlos Alcaraz lying in wait

Jack Draper muscled aside Facundo Diaz Acosta in the second round of the US Open, but the Brit’s reward did not come in the form of a showdown with the World No. 3. 

22-year-old Draper was far too good for his Argentine opponent, winning 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 to cruise through at Flushing Meadows. The same couldn’t be said for his expected third-round opponent, Carlos Alcaraz. 

The prodigious Spaniard was stunned by Botic van de Zandschulp in the Arthur Ashe night session on Friday evening. 

That June afternoon at the Queen’s Club this year when Draper beat Alcaraz felt like the moment he truly arrived as the British No. 1. 

‘I played him a couple times on a hardcourt (Alcaraz won both) and it is a different ballgame,’ said Draper. 

British ace Jack Draper (pictured) muscled aside Facundo Diaz Acosta at the US Open

Draper looked comfortable as he continued his impressive start to his US Open campaign

Draper had been expected to face Carlos Alacarz in the third round but the Spaniard lost 

However, there was to be no repeat of Queen in the form of a Saturday showdown against the third seed for the best of Britain. Instead, Draper will face No. 74 van de Zandschulp. 

Draper loves the courts here in Flushing Meadows. He made the third round on debut in 2022, the fourth round last year and now is into the third round without dropping a set.

‘Today, I felt like my tennis was in a good place. I felt a little bit flat from the start. Sometimes, as tennis players – like a normal person – we don’t always wake up feeling amazing. 

‘So had to try and get myself going. I felt my serve got me out of trouble a lot. Hopefully I can keep on building on this performance.

‘This is the Grand Slam I’ve had my best results. There’s definitely something about the conditions here that really suit my game. If I keep on improving at the level I’m doing, there’s no reason why I can’t do really well here.’