Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz faced a surprising defeat in the last 16 of the Queen's Club tournament on Thursday, falling to Britain's Jack Draper. Alcaraz, the reigning champion of the event, lost 7-6 (7/3), 6-3, marking Draper's most significant victory of his career.

Alcaraz, fresh from his French Open triumph, was bested by Draper, who is aiming to become the first British men's singles champion at Queen's since Andy Murray in 2016. This defeat was Alcaraz's first on grass in nearly two years.

Reflecting on the loss, Alcaraz acknowledged the challenge of handling defeats but emphasized the importance of learning and improving. "Of course it's tough to deal with the losses, but I think it's part of our lives," he said. He praised Draper's performance and expressed his determination to excel at Wimbledon.

Alcaraz plans to stay in London to continue his preparation for Wimbledon, focusing on specific training for grass courts. "In Spain or at my home, we don't have grass courts or really grass places just to practise," he noted. The champion remains "hungry to be better" and is eager to defend his title at the All England Club.

For Draper, ranked 31st, this victory followed his first ATP title win in Stuttgart last week. This win makes him the first British man to defeat a top-two player on grass since Murray's victory over Novak Djokovic in the 2013 Wimbledon final.

Neither player managed a break point in the first set, with Draper pulling ahead in the tie-break. Alcaraz saved three match points in the second set before Draper secured the win, just a day after Murray's early exit from the tournament.

"It was a really tough match," Draper said. "Carlos is the defending champion, he won Wimbledon, he's an incredible talent and amazing for the sport. I had to come out and play well and luckily I did."

Draper will face American fifth-seed Tommy Paul in the quarter-finals. Paul advanced by defeating Chile's Alejandro Tabilo 6-3, 6-4. British wildcard Billy Harris also reached the last eight, and Italy's Lorenzo Musetti secured his spot in the quarter-finals with a win over Brandon Nakashima.

Alcaraz's unexpected loss adds an intriguing twist to the Queen's Club tournament, as Draper and other emerging talents make their mark. As Wimbledon approaches, Alcaraz remains focused on refining his grass-court game and reclaiming his form.