World No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz suffered a shocking exit from the Qatar Open, losing to Costa Rica’s Jiri Lehecka in the quarter-finals on February 20. Despite mounting a comeback in the second set, Alcaraz could not complete the turnaround and ultimately fell 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 in an intense contest.
The defeat marked a major upset in the tournament, especially following World No 7 Novak Djokovics surprising fourth round loss to Italy’s Matteo Berrerttini. With Alcaraz and Djokovic out of the competition, the title race has taken an unexpected turn. Lehecka will now face eighth-seeded Jack Draper of Great Britain in the semi-finals. Draper secured his place by defeating Berrettini in a hard-fought 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory.