"Carlos Alcaraz is going to take a run at Federer's sportsmanship awards" - Tennis fans applaud Spaniard for sympathetic gesture towards Jack Draper

Carlos Alcaraz won many hearts with his simple yet profound gesture towards an injured Jack Draper after their Indian Wells fourth-round match on Tuesday. Alcaraz, who only recently recovered from an abdominal injury himself, dedicated his on-court camera message to Draper after his Round of 16 victory.

The Brit player retired midway through the match due to an abdominal injury, which he first suffered late in his 7-6(6), 6-2 victory over compatriot Andy Murray in the third round on Monday. Draper, whose serve is among his biggest weapons, seemed increasingly in discomfort as the match progressed and eventually retired with Alcaraz leading 6-2, 2-0.

After exchanging pleasentries at the net, Alcaraz signed the on-court camera with a 'get well soon' message to Draper rather than a celebratory message for his victory.

"Get well soon Jack," Carlos Alcaraz wrote on the camera.

Alcaraz's gesture drew wide praise from many in the tennis fan community, who applauded the Spaniard's touch of class. He even drew comparisons with Roger Federer, who is very well known for his sportsmanship.

"Carlos Alcaraz is going to take a run at Federer's multiple Sportsmanship Awards...Guy is pure class...Beginning of match offers coin toss choice to opponent...End of match writes well wishes on camera... & this guy is just 19 years old," a fan wrote on Twitter.

"Love this. I got to watch him play this weekend at Indian Wells and I’m every bit impressed by Alcaraz the human as I am by Alcaraz the tennis player," another fan expressed.

Here are a few more reactions from tennis fans to Carlos Alcaraz's sporting gesture towards Jack Draper:

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"Nobody wants to win like this" - Carlos Alcaraz expresses sympathy for Jack Draper

Carlos Alcaraz sympathized with fellow young tennis star Jack Draper, who missed a golden opportunity at Indian Wells owing to an untimely injury. Alcaraz said that winning through an opponent's retirement is the last manner in which he prefers to emerge victorious. He stated his belief that the sport is secondary to health and fitness, thus wishing the 21-year-old Brit a speedy recovery.

"Nobody wants to win a match like this. Nobody wants to get through to the next round like this," Alcaraz said in his post-match on-court interview.

"Sometimes tennis is hard. As I said before, health is more important than a show, a tournament…All I can say is to wish him a speedy recovery."

Alcaraz himself missed a very crucial phase of the 2022 season due to an abdominal injury. He was forced to retire midway through his Paris Masters quarterfinal against Holger Rune in early November, and was later forced to miss his first-ever ATP Finals and the rest of the season.

Meanwhile, Alcaraz will face either Felix Auger-Aliassime or Tommy Paul in the Indian Wells quarterfinals on Friday.