Draper beats Rune to win Indian Wells title

British player Jack Draper delivered an outstanding performance in the Indian Wells Open final, defeating Danish player Holger Rune to win the most significant title of his career.

The 23-year-old Draper dominated from the start of the match, easily defeating world No. 13 Rune with a score of 6-2, 6-2. This victory not only earned him his first ATP Masters title—a level just below the four Grand Slam events—but also brought a landmark weekend for the British No. 1.

After defeating Spanish player Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals on Saturday, Draper, ranked No. 14 in the world, had already secured his first entry into the world's top ten. This achievement was already a certainty regardless of the outcome against the 21-year-old Rune. The straight-sets victory means that the English left-hander will rise to seventh in the ATP rankings on Monday.

"I'm really happy, and obviously, I'm also very proud of what I've achieved this week," Draper said in an interview with BBC Sport. After hitting a forehand out on the first championship point, Draper completed the task on his second attempt when Rune's return went wide, and Draper rushed to the net. The US Open semi-finalist celebrated in a calm manner—smiling at his support team before kneeling on the court, patting the ground with satisfaction.

"I said at the end of last year that I wanted to be able to compete with Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and all the players competing for major titles," Draper added. "Saying it is one thing, doing it is another. To be able to perform at my highest level for six consecutive matches here, defeating strong opponents, is what I have been striving to achieve."

Early in his teens, Draper was considered the most likely candidate to succeed three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray as the leading British figure on the ATP tour. Over the past 12 months, the 2018 Wimbledon junior finalist has achieved this goal—but it has not been smooth sailing.

A series of physical problems hampered Draper's progress in his early career, but he has been working hard to find solutions. Maintaining his health over the past two seasons has paid off. A few days after becoming the British No. 1 last year, he won his first tour title at the ATP 250 grass-court event in Stuttgart.

Since then, he has continued to climb the ladder. In October, a month after his first Grand Slam semi-final in New York, he won again at the ATP 500 hard-court event in Vienna. Now, he has become the fifth British player to win a Masters title—with this event in California widely regarded as the fifth Grand Slam in tennis.

"I feel like I deserve it, the adversity and sacrifices I've been through—knowing how much you've been through is an exciting feeling," Draper said. "Standing here saying I'm going to be world No. 7—I can't express what that means to me."

Just as he did in his semi-final victory over two-time defending champion Alcaraz, Draper started quickly, undermining his opponent's confidence. The British player showcased his precise serve, which was the cornerstone of his progress to the final, and frequently returned the nervous Rune's first serve into play—hitting brilliant winners from the baseline. Two breaks of Rune's serve, and quick holds, constantly applied pressure, with a 4-0 lead quickly turning into a 5-1 advantage.

Before closing out the first set, Draper did not lose a single point on his first serve. His dominance led a frustrated Rune to leave the court for a mental adjustment—despite having only played for 29 minutes. Draper broke again at the start of the second set, maintaining his lead by continuing to pressure Rune with deep right-handed returns. Even frequent conversations with his team could not help the increasingly agitated Rune get back on track.

A poor service game gave Draper a double-break cushion at 5-2, and an opportunity to serve for the championship. Draper had faltered somewhat when trying to close out his quarter-final against third seed Taylor Fritz and his semi-final against four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz.

But there was no sign of anxiety when serving for the championship—another indicator that Draper now truly believes he belongs in the top ranks. "I think new experiences and new emotions got the better of me against Carlos," he said. "Turning around the third set helped my confidence massively."