In the aftermath of the most brilliant win of his career, a grimy, gutsy three-set triumph over Carlos Alcaraz, Jack Draper had less than 24 hours to compose himself and refocus in order to close out an extraordinary series of performances with the title he craved.
One of the toughest mental challenges for a professional tennis player is to back up a monumental win, yet on Sunday afternoon in California, Draper cleared that obstacle with ease. He closed out his incredible run in the desert with his most dominant performance of all, completely overpowering the 12th seed, Holger Rune, 6-2, 6-2 to win at Indian Wells for the first time.
With a triumphant run at arguably the biggest regular tournament in the world outside of the grand slams, Draper is the fifth British man in history to win an ATP Masters 1000 title, joining Tim Henman, Greg Rusedski, Andy Murray and Cameron Norrie. Having already sealed a place inside the top 10 for the first time in his career, the 23-year-old will rise to a career-high ranking of No 7 in his first week as a top 10 player. Draper has also now won three ATP titles, with his wins at the Stuttgart ATP 250 event and Vienna ATP 500 all achieved over the past year.
“I feel like I deserve this, in all honesty,” said Draper. “The amount of adversity I have been through, the amount of sacrifices, the amount of time all the people around me have put into me. It’s an emotional feeling to know how much you have gone through and put in. To be here now and to say I will be seven in the world, I cannot tell you how much that means to me.”
This had already been an incredible week that featured the best tennis of Draper’s career, particularly in the 13th seed’s devastating fourth round performance against the third seed, Taylor Fritz. His win over the second seed and defending champion, Alcaraz, on Saturday, meanwhile, was a reflection of his mental toughness and composure under pressure.
While the younger yet considerably more experienced Rune looked tense early on, Draper burst into the match eviscerating the ball. He backed up his excellent serving by dominating the baseline with his much-improved forehand and he looked desperate to conduct the match on his terms. After flying to a 4-0 lead, Draper rolled through the opening set.
Draper has always been open about the nerves that have sometimes accompanied his determination to succeed and this was the type of occasion that could have easily brought them out. Instead, he continued to relentlessly attack his forehand, completely overpowering Rune with his superior weight of shot.
Even as Rune began to grow into the match – and the 21-year-old put Draper under pressure in a number of games – Draper played with immense courage on the decisive points, landing massive, precise first serves and pulverising his forehand until the title was his.
When Draper began his rise up the ATP rankings years ago, he never imagined how challenging his path would be. He has had to navigate countless injuries, physical and even mental issues that left him questioning whether he would ever fulfil the potential he has long believed he possesses. This victory is a triumph of his resilience and determination, and it is clear that his rise has only just begun.
after newsletter promotion
Earlier on Sunday, 17 year-old Mirra Andreeva continued her own incredible, seemingly effortless ascension as she toppled Aryna Sabalenka, the world No 1, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 to win the biggest title of her young career at Indian Wells.
The victory tied up an immense run where Andreeva outsmarted the two best players in the world, Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek, in the final two rounds to clinch the title.
Andreeva joins Steffi Graf and Serena Williams, the two greatest singles players in the open era, to defeat the top two players in a tournament before the age of 18. Her extremely difficult title run also included impressive wins over Elena Rybakina and Elina Svitoliva.
Having only just broken into the top 10 last month, Andreeva will rise to a career-high ranking of No 6. After also winning the Dubai Open in February, she has now won two of the first three WTA 1000 tournaments of the season and she is on a 12-match winning streak, the longest of her young career. The two newest champions in Indian Wells departed the tournament having achieved statement victories that have clearly established them as true contenders for many grand slam tournaments to come.
