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In a recent interview with ATP, Britain's Jack Draper showered praise on tennis sensation Carlos Alcaraz. Calling him a special player, Draper said one can learn a lot from the young Spaniard and even expressed his wish to play against him for the big titles in the future.
"Alcaraz is very special. I see him as a benchmark kind of player. That is who I am judging myself against. His standards, his work rate and the way he plays. Watching someone like that, you can learn a lot and I hope one day, I will be competing for big titles against him," Draper said.
The 19-year-old Spaniard grabbed the headlines multiple times this season, starting with his first-ever Masters 1000 title win at the Miami Open in April. Alcaraz beat Norwegian Casper Ruud 7-5, 6-4 in the final to become the youngest man to win the tournament.
Later, in May, the youngster defeated his idol Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Alexander Zverev in back-to-back matches to win the Madrid Open, his second Masters 1000 title. Alcaraz became the first player since David Nalbandian at the 2007 Madrid Open to beat three top-5 players at a Masters 1000 event.
The 20-year-old up-and-coming Jack Draper has also caught the tennis world's attention after winning four ATP Challenger Tour titles this year. Besides defeating Jannik Sinner and Alexander Bublik at the Cinch Championships in 2021, Draper also took the first set in his first-round Wimbledon match against Novak Djokovic.
Apart from Carlos Alcaraz, the Brit has also found inspiration in Emma Raducanu, the 19-year-old who won the 2021 US Open as a qualifier.
"I know I have the tennis level and mindset to go far. I like to play aggressively and on the front foot, especially when I am in full flow. I have a big serve, big forehand and a solid backhand. It was a big motivation to see Emma win. It inspired me for sure," said Draper.
Carlos Alcaraz gearing up for Wimbledon 2022
Earlier this month, World No. 7 Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from the Cinch Championships, also known as the Queen's Club Championships, due to an elbow issue. The Spaniard, who expressed his desire to be fit for Wimbledon, Alcaraz recently posted a video on social media where he can be seen training hard.
At the Wimbledon Championships in 2021, Alcaraz lost to Daniil Medvedev in the second round and will be looking to do better this year.
