The Australian Open 2025: Alexsander Vukic almost pulls off miracle five-set epic win over Jack Draper

Alexsander Vukic has nearly pulled off an improbable Australian Open victory but failed to upset world No.18 Jack Draper in a five-set epic that finished close to 1am (AEDT) and lasted almost four hours.

Vukic, ranked 68th in the world, played like he was a seeded player with some incredible passing and drop shots, as well as an efficient serve, but Draper got it done 6-4, 2-6, 5-7, 7-6, 7-6 in the third round match.

Draper, who had only days earlier seen off Thanasi Kokkinakis in a similar five-set marathon, fought bravely to defeat Vukic who played out of his skin to nearly win the biggest match of his career.

Vukic, 28, looked to be on the way out when his serve was broken early in the final set but rallied to break back to level the set 3-3 before the Briton won the final set in a tiebreaker 10-8.

Draper held his nerve with the crowd firmly behind Vukic to close out the fourth set 7-6 (7-5) after Vukic had claimed the second and third sets.

Vukic, who plays with little of the swagger of Nick Kyrgios and plays more like understated Aussie No.1 Alex De Minaur, refused to give in, winning crucial points throughout the match in a memorable Open performance.

But in the end it wasn’t enough, leaving de Minaur to carry the hopes of a nation.

“I thought he was done and he just came back from the dead,” Draper said.

“He was playing incredible.”

The 23-year-old is fast becoming a grand slam spoiler for Australians, having knocked de Minaur out of last year’s US Open quarter-finals and downing Kokkinakis this week.

His prize is a date with world No.3 and four-time grand slam champion Carlos Alcaraz, who he beat on grass at Queen’s Club last year, for a spot in the quarterfinals.

“My body doesn’t feel too great, lucky I’ve got a good physio,” said the 2024 US Open semifinalist.

“I’m just thinking about my recovery and getting off the court. I don’t want to think about that (playing Alcaraz) yet.

“Carlos is a special talent, an unbelievable player and someone I have a good friendship with, so I think that’s going to be incredible match ... I’ll give it my all.”

It was Vukic’s first time in the pressure-cooker environment of a slam third round.

He had already spent more than six hours getting there following tough five-setters against No.22 seed Sebastian Korda and Bosnian Damir Dzumhur.

An around-the-net forehand winner sparked a slow-starting Draper to life after Vukic secured an early break but he gave it back, losing his serve to love and then dropping it again to fall a set adrift.

Far from crestfallen, Vukic raced out to an unassailable 5-0 lead in the second set and levelled the match behind an avalanche of 13 winners and four aces.

Draper had two break points to force a tiebreak in the third set but failed and then destroyed his racquet when falling down set point, earning a code violation.

An ace down the middle from Vukic ended the set, with boos raining down on his opponent as he returned to his seat.

Draper regrouped to send the contest into a fifth and the Australian was staring at the edge of an abyss at 1-3 and facing two break points but flipped the script to hold and then break for 3-3.

After Vukic clawed to a 6-5 lead in the match tiebreak, Draper got a lucky net cord and stopped just before running into the net to draw level and never looked back.

With AAP