British player Jack Draper completed a remarkable campaign at the BNP Paribas Open by producing an outstanding 6-2, 6-2 triumph over world No. 13 Holger Rune to claim his biggest career title, his first Masters 1000 crown, and his third title on tour at Tennis Paradise.
The 13th-seeded, who will debut in the Top 10 debut on Monday, commented: “It’s incredible. I wasn’t expecting this. I’ve put in a lot of work over time.
“I’m just so grateful and so happy to be out here, to be able to play, my body feeling healthy, to feel great in the mind. Just all the work I’ve done over the last few years, it feels like it’s coming together on the big stage, and I can’t put that into words.”
The 23-year-old and the No. 1 Danish player stepped onto Stadium 1 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden on Sunday, pursuing glory at Indian Wells for the first time.
The men’s singles final also marked the second meeting at tour level between the last two men standing.
The Match as It Happened
The Brit, who stunned two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz to secure his ticket into the final, set off proceedings on fire, competing in his sixth career championship match, his first at Masters 1000 level.
From the onset, the 2024 US Open semifinalist focused on his game, capitalizing on his firepower, ripping his forehand with exquisite precision while displaying his high-quality backhand.
Early in the points, he dominated, opening with a break and holding to lead 2-0.
Unrelenting, the heavy-hitting world No. 14 took a double break advantage after earning 12 of the last 16 points in play as the Dane struggled to find his rhythm.
Unbothered behind his booming serve, he hit three aces to consolidate a 4-0 lead.
The 21-year-old managed to navigate out of danger, fending off a break point before holding his ground to narrow the gap 1-4.
However, his return game was notably lacking as he failed to force a single break point all set, and his all-court game was nowhere to be found, neutralized by a rock-solid opponent.
Draper kept imposing his strategy with a comfortable hold at love that the former Paris Masters champion emulated, still fighting to recover.
Then, the Sutton-born served out for the set 6-2, closing out in just 29 minutes a one-sided affair.
Building upon his momentum, the Qatar Open runner-up broke to open the second set, holding to open a 2-0 advantage in control of the match.
Rune, playing below the level he showcased throughout the tournament, attempted a comeback at 2-3, adjusting his strategy but failing in his shot execution.
However, Draper stayed the course with his ferocious ball-striking and wise decision-making when coming forward at the net.
The seventh game, a paramount moment in the match, saw the young Scandinavian drop serve and the Briton marching to pocket the set 6-2.
Assessing his performance, he added: “I knew Holger was going to come out and play some really good tennis. So, I needed to be aggressive and play to win from the first ball, and I did an amazing job of that.
“I didn’t allow him to play. I felt like I dictated the match really well.”
Draper delivered a clinical performance overall to capture the title at Tennis Paradise without facing a break point across the final contest.
He hit 21 winners against 16 unforced errors, winning 92 percent of the points on his first serve, converting four of seven break points.
The brand-new champion dropped just one set on the way to the title against Alcaraz.
Moreover, he joined countryman Cameron Norrie as the only British champions in the tournament history.