Jack Draper rallied from a set down to defeat five-time champion Novak Djokovic 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(5) in the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open on March 12, 2026. The 24-year-old Brit, returning from an eight-month arm injury, advanced to the quarterfinals where he will face Daniil Medvedev. Djokovic cited physical exhaustion after a grueling 26-shot rally as a turning point in the match.
The match at Indian Wells, California, showcased intense competition between the third-seeded Djokovic and 14th-seeded Draper, the defending champion. Djokovic started strongly, breaking Draper in the 10th game to win the first set 6-4. Draper fought back in the second set, breaking Djokovic twice to level the score at 6-4 and force a decider.
Early in the third set, at 30-30 on Djokovic's serve in the opening game, the players engaged in a 26-shot rally described by commentator Jim Courier as one of the best points ever seen. Djokovic won the point and held serve to lead 1-0, but the effort drained him. As he later explained in his post-match press conference, "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."
Draper broke Djokovic in the following game to take a 2-1 lead, though Djokovic broke back later. The set went to a tiebreak, where Draper prevailed 7-5. Djokovic mentioned stomach discomfort affecting his breathing but emphasized the match's closeness: "One point, just a few strokes, decided the winner tonight."
For Draper, the victory marked his first win over Djokovic, whom he previously lost to 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 at Wimbledon in 2021. "Just overwhelmed to obviously beat Novak, someone I have watched and admired and idolised since I was a kid," Draper said. He served for the match at 5-4 but was broken, yet regrouped to win the tiebreak.
Djokovic, who had beaten Kamil Majchrzak in the second round and Aleksandar Kovacevic in the third, earned 100 ATP ranking points for reaching the fourth round, improving on his 10 points from a second-round exit in 2025. He also gained 90 doubles points partnering Stefanos Tsitsipas. Prize money totaled $123,570 across singles ($105,720) and doubles ($17,850). Djokovic remains world No. 3 and heads to the Miami Open next.
