Roland Garros 2025: Jack Draper loses to inspired Alexander Bublik performance as Cam Norrie exits to Novak Djokovic
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British duo Jack Draper and Cam Norrie bowed out in the fourth round at Roland Garros against impressive performances from Alexander Bublik and 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic.
Bublik hit an incredible 68 winners in one of the best matches of his career to defeat fifth seed Draper 5-7, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 in two hours and 35 minutes.
Meanwhile, Norrie lost out to former world No.1 and three-time champion Novak Djokovic 6-2, 6-3, 6-2.
This was the first time that two British players had made the fourth round at the French Open in the Open Era and a career-best best performance in Paris for both Draper and Norrie.
Set to become the new world No.4 Draper leaves Paris after the best clay court season of his career so far – including a final run at the Mutua Madrid Open.
Draper has now reached the fourth round or better at each of his last three Grand Slams, but on the day, Bublik played an almost faultless three sets of tennis to seal the victory.
After the match, Bublik recognised the level of the performance and its significance in his career so far.
“Sometimes in life there is only one chance and I had a feeling that that was mine,” he said. “I couldn’t let it slip. Standing here now is the best moment of my life.”
Draper got everything right in the opening set as both players made a solid start on serve through the first 10 games. At 5-5, the British No.1 clipped the back of the baseline to set up the first break point of the match, which Bublik followed up with a double fault.
Despite a sloppy end to the set and going a break down in the second, Bublik didn’t lose his focus, and the world No.62 brought his best level to Court Suzanne-Lenglen.
Bublik came back from two sets down to defeat world No.9 Alex de Minaur in the second round and the Kazakh raised his game once again when needed to claim his second top 10 win of the week.
Once Bublik managed to level up at one set apiece and take a break lead in the third, the pressure started to tell for Draper, who for the first time this week, couldn’t find the answers to what his opponent was throwing at him.
The Brit missed what seemed a routine short forehand to set up an opportunity for a double break at 3-1 in the third before hitting a second double fault of the game to give Bublik a comfortable lead.
Bublik went on to break to love in the opening game of the fourth set with another slapped forehand return winner as the match started to run away from the Briton.
Draper had five chances to break back with Bublik serving for the match but in the end the Kazakh held his nerve despite the growing cheers amongst the crowd and collapsed to the floor in celebration as he punched his ticket into the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam for the first time.
Norrie knocked out by three-time champion Djokovic
Coming into their fourth round clash on Court Philippe Chatrier Djokovic led the head-to-head against Norrie 5-0 and the British No.3s task was only made harder after he was broken three times in the opening set.
Norrie has had to battle through some tough moments so far in Paris during his wins over 12th seed Daniil Medvedev, Federico Gomez and fellow Briton Jacob Fearnley in the previous round and came out fighting in the second set.
Norrie capitalised on a sloppy opening few games from Djokovic to go 2-0 up and had further chances to break once the Serbian got back to 2-2 and then 3-3 but was denied on both occasions.
Former world No.8 Norrie started struggling with an ankle issue in the final games of the second set which opened the door for Djokovic to push 2-0 in front and take a commanding 5-1 lead in the third. The 24-time major champion needed just one opportunity to serve out an impressive win in two hours and 15 minutes.
Norrie’s focus will now turn to the grass court season where the former Wimbledon semi-finalist and Queen’s Club runner-up will begin his campaign at the Lexus Ilkley Open.
