Jack Draper’s emotional Queen’s Club campaign came to a dramatic end in the semi-finals as he fell to Jiri Lehecka in a tense three-set battle. Despite a valiant effort, Draper was edged out 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 in just over two hours, with Lehecka sealing a spot in the final against Carlos Alcaraz.
Draper, playing his first grass tournament of the season, had been fighting illness all week and later revealed he had been diagnosed with tonsillitis. Yet his gritty displays earlier in the tournament surviving two three-set matches against Alexei Popyrin and Brandon Nakashima had placed him on the brink of a maiden grass-court final. The disappointment of falling just short was clearly evident.
As the deciding set slipped away, Draper’s frustration boiled over. After losing a crucial game, he smashed his racket into the advertising LED screen courtside, temporarily disabling a section of it ironically while it displayed an ad for his racket sponsor. The outburst also left him with a grazed knee, further reflecting the physical and emotional toll of the match.
In the post-match reflections, Draper acknowledged his tendency to lose composure, attributing it to his fierce competitive streak. He explained that with his energy levels low due to illness, he relied on his emotions to push through. “Sometimes I just play on a bit of a tightrope,” he admitted, adding that while he doesn’t want to behave like that, it’s part of what drives him to compete.
Despite the disappointment, Draper will draw positives from his run, which secures him a place among the top four seeds at Wimbledon. His strong serving helped him stay competitive, but his forehand remained unreliable throughout the week, and that inconsistency proved costly in the final moments.
Lehecka, meanwhile, continued his impressive rise. The Czech player had looked sharp all week, taking out fifth seed Alex de Minaur in the first round before powering through the draw. His heavy first serve and aggressive baseline play allowed him to dictate terms, especially in the crucial games of the final set.
While Draper exits with regrets, Lehecka moves forward to the biggest match of his career, where he’ll meet Carlos Alcaraz. The French Open champion, improving with every grass-court outing, reached the final with a composed 6-4, 6-4 win over Roberto Bautista Agut. After some shaky moments earlier in the week, Alcaraz’s 15 aces and fluent forehands signaled a return to top form as he eyes his third title in a row.
