It’s certainly not the ideal way to prepare for any second week at a Major, let alone one that will begin with a match against Carlos Alcaraz, but Jack Draper will take it.

Jack Draper is piling up several five-set matches after his latest at the Australian Open. He will have to ensure the endgame comes quicker in the first week of Slams.

As Jack Draper retires from his Australian Open fourth-round match, BBC Sport analyses the key questions around his injury issues.

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.

Jack Draper retired from his match against Carlos Alcaraz in the fourth round of the Australian Open after two sets and the Spaniard was disappointed not to play out the match

The 23-year-old has beaten Alcaraz before but that was on the grass of Queen's, which could hardly be further from the hard courts of the Australian Open

Carlos Alcaraz moves to the Australian Open quarter-finals following Jack Draper's retirement due to a hip injury.

Jack Draper’s mid-match retirement against the reigning Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz was the result of a hip injury that he described as “a ticking time bomb...

Jack Drapers heroic Australian Open run ends in injury when trailing four-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz; watch all the action from the ATP and WTA Tours on Sky Sports Tennis and Sky Sports+,

But, considering such a workload after an injury-disrupted off-season, it felt like beating Alcaraz would be a step too far at Melbourne Park. Draper planned to "sleep ... but I am sad for Jack – he doesn't deserve to be injured. "I wish him a speedy ...

The British No 1 faces a stiff task as Alcaraz looks to continue his chase for a career grand slam before Djokovic is in action later

Carlos Alcaraz dropped a set for the first time in the Australian Open 2025 when facing Nuno Borges. Jack Draper has the comfort of beating Alcaraz at their most recent meeting on grass. Alcaraz is yet to get past the last eight in Melbourne, something he will be keen to remedy this year.