Mar 19, 2022; Indian Wells, CA, USA; Rafael Nadal (ESP) gripping shakes hands Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) after their semifinal match at the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

tennis

Carlos Alcaraz Trails Only Rafael Nadal in Elite Stat After Italian Open 2025 Win vs Khachanov

Spanish Greats Top Masters-1000 QF List

Mar 19, 2022; Indian Wells, CA, USA; Rafael Nadal (ESP) gripping shakes hands Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) after their semifinal match at the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

World No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz shrugged off an erratic performance and produced his best level when required to beat Karen Khachanov 6-3 3-6 7-5 in the 2025 Italian Open Round of 16 on Tuesday. Alcaraz, a former World No. 1, gave up a 6-3 3-2 advantage and dropped the next four games to let the match slip into a decider. However, his Russian counterpart tripped at the final hurdle to ensure more records for ‘Carlitos’.

In reaching the last eight stage, Alcaraz became the second youngest ATP star in the history of the game to reach the quarterfinals at every Masters event. The only man who completed this achievement at a younger age was 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal. Alcaraz also became the first Spaniard to reach the final eight at the Internazionali d’Italia since 10-time champion Nadal in 2021.

22, 2 – Since the format's introduction in 1990, Carlos Alcaraz (22y 2d at the start of the event) is the second-youngest player to reach the QF at nine separate ATP Masters 1000 events, older only than Rafael Nadal. All-court.#IBI25 | @InteBNLdItalia @atptour @ATPMediaInfo pic.twitter.com/fzmMmQV05r
— OptaAce (@OptaAce) May 13, 2025

Alcaraz needed nearly two and a half hours to overcome Khachanov on Tuesday. “It feels amazing to get the win at the end against a really big and tough guy like Khachanov,” he said. The 28-year-old Russian has been playing inspired tennis recently, and reached the semifinals in Barcelona last month. “The match was really tough. I had to run a lot, so I’m just really proud of the way I fought for every ball.”

Alcaraz Set for Jack Draper Challenge in Rome Quarterfinal

Carlos Alcaraz will face World No. 5 Jack Draper in the quarterfinals of the Italian Open. Draper came through a stern test vs fellow southpaw Corentin Moutet in his Round of 16 encounter. The 23-year-old Brit bounced back after dropping the opening set to win 1-6 6-4 6-3. And it is safe to say that the stakes for the Alcaraz vs Draper match-up could not get much higher.

A win for the four-time Grand Slam champion would not only ensure a spot in the semifinals, but also gives him the World No. 2 ranking ahead of Roland Garros. Current No. 2 Alexander Zverev is the defending champion in Rome, but could see his ranking slip away even if he defends his trophy. On the other hand, 2024 US Open semifinalist Draper is eyeing the No. 4 position in the ATP Rankings. Provided he can topple Alcaraz, he will overtake Fritz to become World No. 4 and avoid facing the Top-3 until the semis at Roland Garros.

“Jack [Draper] is playing great,” Alcaraz asserted before their sixth meeting. He leads the head to head 3-2 at the moment, but Draper won the most recent duel at Indian Wells 2025. “The way he’s playing is really high. I’ve been watching his matches. The way he plays is huge, and I have to be ready for that. I think it’s going to be a great battle.”

Carlos Alcaraz is 26-5 this year, and 12-1 on clay. He will return to the Foro Italico with the hopes of capturing his maiden championship at the capital. With Roland Garros being the ultimate goal, a No. 2 seeding could be the difference between defending his title or not.

ATP

ATP Masters 1000

Carlos Alcaraz

Italian Open

Jack Draper

Karen Khachanov

Rafael Nadal

Roland Garros

Rome Masters

Tennis

Sankalp Harikrishnan

A passionate sports fan through and through, I am currently pursuing my MA in Global Sports Journalism. I specialise in tennis and football writing at The Playoffs News, and I have prior experience working at EssentiallySports and Sportskeeda. Born and raised in Bengaluru, India, sport was my safe space right from my childhood. After trying my hand at multiple sports and representing my educational institutions in cricket, badminton and table tennis, I found sports media to be my calling.