Carlos Alcaraz makes his position clear on Jack Draper double bounce controversy after losing crucial point in Indian Wells loss

Carlos Alcaraz has revealed whether his and Jack Draper’s Indian Wells double bounce controversy threw him off his game. He said he wasn’t “sure enough” about when the chair umpire intervened during their rally, which resulted in two VAR reviews.

Alcaraz fell to Draper in the semifinals of the 2025 BNP Paribas Open on Saturday, March 15. The Spaniard, who was the two-time defending champion at the event, was knocked out by the Brit with a 6-1, 0-6, 6-4 scoreline.

Carlos Alcaraz looked out of sorts for the most part and found himself trailing by a set within just 23 minutes of the match. Although the Spaniard staged a recovery in the second set to draw level, he failed to carry the momentum into the final set. During the early moments of the decider, Alcaraz and Draper were also interrupted by a contentious call made by chair umpire Mohamed Lahyani.

At 1-1(15-15) in the third set on his serve, the Spaniard executed a drop shot, forcing his opponent to rush to the net. Draper was quick on his feet and kept the ball in play only for Lahyani to announce that the ball had bounced twice.

At the same time, Alcaraz approached the net to return his opponent’s shot but dragged the ball wide. Jack Draper was visibly upset with Layhani’s “not up” call and demanded a VAR review. When Carlos Alcaraz was asked whether he was bothered by the fiasco, he said in his press conference:

"Well, not really. I mean, I didn't see if it was one bounce or two bounces at the beginning. So I was just waiting for the review."

It was then confirmed that the Brit had indeed hit a legitimate shot, reaching the ball before it bounced twice. The chair umpire called for a replay, but Jack Draper protested that his opponent had failed to keep the ball in play, so he should’ve been awarded the point. He promptly asked for another VAR intervention, this time to check whether Alcaraz had made the return.

After the second review, Mohamed Lahyani controversially announced that the Spaniard wasn’t hindered by his “not up” call and was unable to make a legitimate return. He ultimately awarded the crucial point to Draper. Speaking about the decision, Carlos Alcaraz said:

"I mean, and after, you know, with the second review, it (Lahyani’s call) was in the middle of the point or after I hit it, I wasn't sure enough. So I didn't hear, you know, while I was hitting the ball, but I wasn't sure enough to say something."

As it turned out, Carlos Alcaraz was eventually broken in that service game, a result that potentially set the tone for the rest of the match.

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Carlos Alcaraz on Indian Wells 2025 defeat: "Jack Draper played much better than me"

Carlos Alcaraz and Jack Draper pictured at the 2025 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells - Source: Getty

Despite being broken in the crucial game, Carlos Alcaraz insisted that he wasn’t affected by the interruption in play.

"And, you know, waiting for the ball reviews, they didn't bother to me at all. I mean, that way it was normal for the review," he said in the aforementioned press conference.

The four-time Grand Slam champion opined that his opponent was a “much better player” during the contest.

"All I can say is (Jack Draper) came; he played much better than me. You know, that point didn't affect, you know, for my play at all."

Alcaraz was chasing his second title of the season at Indian Wells following his Rotterdam glory in February. He would now hope for a better result at the Miami Open, where he is bidding to repeat his 2022 success. Jack Draper, meanwhile, is set to contest his maiden Masters 1000 final against Holger Rune on Sunday, March 16.