US Open 2024: Jack Draper demolishes Alex de Minaur in straight sets to make maiden Slam semi-final in New York

Jack Draper made his first ever Grand Slam semi-final after beating number 10 seed Alex de Minaur in straight sets, 6-3 7-5 6-2. The Brit makes it to the semi-finals without dropping a set, despite nursing a hamstring issue as his impressive form at Flushing Meadows continues. Draper will play the winner of Jannik Sinner and Daniil Medvedev in the semis.

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Jack Draper’s impressive US Open run continues, as the Brit made it through to his first ever Grand Slam semi-final.

He beat Alex de Minaur 6-3 7-5 6-2 to advance to the semi-finals at Flushing Meadows, the first British man to do so since Andy Murray lifted the title in 2012.

Draper’s timely run has rejuvenated British tennis in the wake of Murray’s recent retirement, with the 22-year-old the heir apparent to the Scot, and very much continuing his legacy with this run in New York. He will play Jannik Sinner or Daniil Medvedev in that semi-final.

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"Amazing, honestly to be out here, my first match on the biggest court in the world, thank you for your support it means the world to me. I played a solid match, I feel the best fitness wise I have in a long long time," Draper said after grabbing the biggest win of his career.

Jack Draper of Great Britain hu after defeating Alex de Minaur of Australia during their Men's Singles Quarterfinal match on Day Ten of the 2024 US Open

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With news filtering through that De Minaur had shortened his morning practice session and wasn’t feeling his best, Draper could be forgiven for finding the goings on over the net a bit of a distraction at the start of the match.

Instead he showed nothing but maturity in breaking De Minaur at the first opportunity with no signs of nerves. But whether De Minaur’s physical fitness started to play on his mind or he suddenly remembered the occasion, Draper couldn’t keep his impressive play going and double faulted twice to hand the break straight back.

Looking unimpressed with himself, Draper immediately grabbed the break back and this time consolidated it, with De Minaur continuing to look a shadow of his normal self.

The Australian had to pull out of his quarter-final at Wimbledon with a hip injury, and it didn’t look like his Grand Slam luck had changed. With the sun out, conditions were hot and humid - far from ideal for anyone who might be struggling physically.

Despite another double fault when he was serving for the set, Draper took it in 39 minutes by 6-3, although he did clutch his leg before going back to his chair.

The good news for the fans was that De Minaur started the second set much brighter, but he was still struggling to find an answer to Draper’s groundstrokes - the world number 25 finding the line on both wings.

Australia's Alex de Minaur plays a return to Britain's Jack Draper during their men's quarterfinals match on day ten of the US Open

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At 1-1 in the second set, De Minaur started clutching that troublesome hip again and the physio could be seen courtside, waiting to come on. But as Draper broke De Minaur’s serve again, the physio instead ran on for Draper.

The Brit just wanted some strapping on his hamstring and it didn’t seem to hamper him one bit, Draper causing De Minaur more issues with his deep hitting, the Australian unable to get any sort of foothold in the match.

Despite his obvious struggles, there was no sign of any treatment for de Minaur, and he managed to finally get into the match midway through the second set. Having saved break points to avoid going a second break down, De Minaur broke Draper to level things up at 4-4.

But he couldn’t keep that momentum going, Draper breaking at 5-5 to take it 7-5.

That brief De Minaur resurgence just couldn’t last, the Aussie still feeling his hip as he went down an early break in the third. De Minaur has never been past the quarter-finals of a Slam, losing to Dominic Thiem the only other time he made it this far at Flushing Meadows.

And it was Draper who made it to the semi-finals, serving out to love with some of his best forehands of the match to take it 6-3 7-5 6-2 in just over two hours.

"I think Alex maybe was struggling today with something, but credit to him he’s an incredible fighter and I’m sure we’ll have many more exciting matches to come," Draper said after the match, before admitting he will be watching the other semi-final later on between Jannik Sinner and Daniil Medvedev.

"I’m a big tennis fan, a big sports fan so I’ll watch the match if it doesn’t go too late!"

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