Jack Draper in Great Britain Rugi Le Holger Rune 6-2, 6-2 Denmark on Sunday to win his first ATP Masters 1000 title in Indian Wells.
The classified Briton of the 14th, who overturned the double reigning champion, Carlos Alcaraz, in the semi-finals, did not face a point of rupture when he controlled the 13th classified in just 69 minutes.
It will make its first first beginnings Monday to the seventh in the world.
“It’s incredible,” said Draper, an American semi-finalist last year whose preparations for 2025 were hampered by a hip tendonitis.
“I am so grateful and happy to be here, to be able to play, my healthy body, to feel good in my mind.
“All the work I have done in recent years, I have the impression that everything is meeting on the big stage and I cannot put this in words,” added the 23 -year -old, who also missed a lot of time with shoulder and abdominal injuries in 2023.
Draper said his energy was “undermined” after his big victory over Alcaraz, but his few nerves before the last quick dissipating.
“When I went out on the field, I felt incredible,” said Draper, who was solid in his first Masters 1000 final while running in a 4-0 lead.
“I felt like I was in control. I knew what I had to do. I just went to do it and I played to win,” he said.
Draper has lost only four points on the service in the first set while Rune, who broke out on the stage with an early triumph of the masters of Paris in 2022, had 10 of his 19 uncompvious mistakes in the opening framework.
The Dane had managed to maintain the service twice before Draper pocketed the whole, giving itself a point of instructions with an ace before Rune hits a backhand in the net.
Draper broke the rune to open the second set, and even if the dune had some additional looks at the second draper service, he could not take advantage of it.
“I think that today was very clear that I was not playing well enough,” said Rune, who had ousted Daniil Medvedev, a finalist in the past two years, in the semi-final. “He served incredible, of course. But I think I could have made my share better.
“Jack was playing extremely well, but the few chances that I had to make him difficult, I didn’t quite take them, because I didn’t really trust each plan of my game today.”
– “I deserve it” –
Draper seized a second break for an advance of 5-2 and after having sent a forehand on his first match point, he had the victory when Rune went for a long time with a backhand.
The draper race for a third career title included victories not only on Alcaraz, but also on the winner of the Indian Wells 2022, Taylor Fritz, and the Big-Hitting Home Ben Shelton.
“Last year, I lost here and I felt so uncomfortable playing here,” said Draper. “My service was really in trouble. I did not feel like I was controlling the ball and I lost my way mentally last year.
“So I knew that coming here this year is a challenge, but not only for me, but for many players. I think Taylor and Carlos play in a way where they are very aggressive with their forehand, they serve very well.
“Over the games, I felt more and more confident in these conditions.”
Draper, who won his two previous ATP titles in 2024, said his biggest title to date was a testimony to his perseverance.
“I feel like I deserve it, in all honesty,” he said. “It is an emotional feeling of knowing how much you went through and put it and to be here now to say that I will be number seven in the world tomorrow, I cannot tell you how much it means for me.”
BB / RCW
