Draper claims Indian Wells glory

AFP | Indian Wells

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Britain’s Jack Draper roared past Denmark’s Holger Rune 6-2, 6-2 on Sunday to win his first ATP Masters 1000 title at Indian Wells.

The 14th-ranked Briton, who toppled two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the s e m i - f i n a l s , didn’t face a break point as he subdued the 13th ranked Dane in just 69 minutes.

He made his top 10 debut yesterday at seventh in the world.

“It’s incredible,” said Draper, a US Open semi-finalist last year whose preparations for 2025 were hindered by a flare-up of hip tendinitis.

“I’m just so grateful and happy to be out here, to be able to play, my body feeling healthy, to feel great in my mind. “All the work I’ve done over the last few years, it feels like it’s all coming together on the big stage and I can’t put that into words,” added the 23-year-old, who also missed significant time with shoulder and abdominal injuries in 2023.

Draper said his energy was “sapped” after his big victory over Alcaraz, but his few nerves before the final quick dissipated.

“When I got out on the court, I felt amazing,” said Draper, who was rock-solid in his first Masters 1000 final as he raced to a 4-0 lead. “I felt like I was in control. I knew what I needed to do. I just went for it and played to win,” he said.

Draper dropped just four points on serve in the first set as Rune, who burst on the scene with a precocious Paris Masters triumph in 2022, had 10 of his 19 unforced errors in the opening frame.