Indian Wells (United States) (AFP) – 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 semi-finals, didn’t face a break point as he subdued the 13th ranked Dane in just 69 minutes. He’ll make his top 10 debut on Monday 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.
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Draper said his energy was “sapped” after his big victory over Alcaraz, but his few nerves before the final quickly 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. The Dane had managed to hold serve twice before Draper pocketed the set, giving himself set point with an ace before Rune thumped a backhand into the net. Draper broke Rune to open the second set, and even though the Dane got a few more looks at Draper’s second serve, he couldn’t take advantage.
“I think today was very clear that I didn’t play well enough,” said Rune, who had ousted Daniil Medvedev, runner-up the past two years, in the semi-finals. “He was serving amazing, for sure. But I think I could have done my part better. Jack was playing extremely well, but the few chances I had to make it difficult for him, I didn’t quite take them, because I wasn’t really trusting every shot of my game today.”
Draper seized a second break for a 5-2 lead, and after sending a forehand long on his first match point, he had the win when Rune went long with a backhand. Draper’s run to a third career title included victories not only over Alcaraz but also over 2022 Indian Wells winner Taylor Fritz and big-hitting home hope Ben Shelton.
“Last year I lost here and I felt so uncomfortable playing here,” Draper said. “My serve was really struggling. I didn’t feel like I was in control of the ball, and I lost my way mentally last year. So I knew coming here this year is a challenge, but not only for me but for a lot of the players. I think Taylor and Carlos play in a way where they are very aggressive with their forehand, they serve great. As the matches went on, I felt more and more confident in these conditions.”
Draper, who claimed his two prior ATP titles in 2024, said his biggest title to date was a testament to his perseverance. “I feel like I deserve it, in all honesty,” he said. “It’s an emotional feeling to know how much you’ve gone through and put in and to be here now to say that I’m going to be number seven in the world tomorrow, I can’t tell you how much that means to me.”
© 2024 AFP
