Jack Draper’s French Open journey came to an end on Monday after a spirited but ultimately unsuccessful fourth-round battle against Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik. The British No 1 was beaten 5-7, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 in a match where the momentum steadily slipped away despite a strong start.
The first set had seen Draper go toe-to-toe with Bublik, matching him serve for serve before capitalising on a double fault to secure the vital break at 6-5. However, despite breaking again early in the second, Draper soon found himself overpowered by an inspired Bublik, who began dictating rallies with a blend of aggression and finesse. His deft drop shots repeatedly left Draper stranded and frustrated.
The 23-year-old Londoner struggled to stem the tide as Bublik, playing some of the best tennis of his career, surged into a two-sets-to-one lead. In a marathon final game, Draper showed resilience, saving a match point and carving out five break points, but was unable to convert any of them.
“It was a tough match. I didn’t play a good match, but I also didn’t play a bad match,” Draper reflected afterwards. “I thought he played incredibly well. He didn’t allow me to play my tennis. I don’t think I’ve reached my best level this week… it hurts a lot.”
Bublik, now the first Kazakh man to reach a Grand Slam quarter-final, will face World No 1 Jannik Sinner, who comfortably dispatched Andrey Rublev 6-1, 6-3, 6-4.
The defeat marked the end of British involvement in the singles draw, with Cameron Norrie also exiting earlier in the day following a straight-sets loss to Novak Djokovic.
Norrie’s best-ever run at Roland Garros was halted by the Serbian great, who recorded a commanding 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 victory. Djokovic, despite receiving treatment for a blister at one changeover, was rarely troubled. Norrie, too, required a medical time-out for a foot issue, but struggled to find rhythm throughout the encounter.
While disappointed with the result, Norrie can take solace in his resurgence in form. The campaign should see him return to the world’s top 60, having slumped to No 91 earlier this year.
Djokovic now progresses to face German third seed Alexander Zverev in the quarter-finals, after the latter advanced due to the retirement of Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor during their second set.
Elsewhere, the French Open delivered one of its most stunning upsets in decades as World No 361 Los Boisson defeated No 3 seed Jessica Pegula 3-6, 6-4, 6-4. Boisson, a wild card entry, becomes the lowest-ranked woman to defeat a top-five seed at Roland Garros in 40 years, and the lowest-ranked player to reach the quarter-finals since at least 1985.
“Playing on this court with such an atmosphere was really incredible,” said Boisson. “I’m really happy on here. I can stay a long time if you like.”
She will now face rising Russian star Mirra Andreeva in the last eight. Meanwhile, Coco Gauff breezed past Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-0, 7-5 to set up a quarter-final clash with fellow American Madison Keys.