Jack Draper played at a very high level at the 'BNP Paribas Open' in Indian Wells, winning the first Masters 1000 of his young career and entering the Top 10 of the ATP ranking with full merit. The British ace's progress had been evident for some time and the semifinal reached at the 2024 US Open had given him the right confidence to continue working hard.
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Despite an injury-affected pre-season, Jack continued to believe in himself and his hard work paid off in California. His run was borderline perfection, especially for his feat against Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals.
The Spanish champion had prevailed in the last two editions of this tournament and had not lost since 2022, all elements that made the Englishman's triumph even more special.
An amazing run
The final against Holger Rune was dominated by Draper from start to finish, despite the Danish star having played some really brilliant tennis in the last ten days.
The world number 7 knew very well what to do and applied his tactical plan in an impeccable way, before letting himself go to joy with his team for having won a truly prestigious title (Indian Wells is commonly referred to as the 'fifth Slam').
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In an interview with 'L'Equipe', former French ace Nicolas Escud commented on Draper's resounding triumph in California: "He was really solid throughout the tournament and his tactics were perfect against all opponents.
It's not easy to stem his game, because there's a big difference between his forehand full of top spin and his very flat backhand. Being left-handed, his backhand allows him to take his rivals off the court. It reminds me of Ugo Humbert's, but perhaps it is even more effective.
He has a really excellent serve and his ability to cover the field has greatly improved in recent times. It will be a very tough opponent for everyone in the rest of the season."
