Jack Draper emerged victorious in the men's Indian Wells final, defeating Holger Rune with a decisive 6-2, 6-2 victory to claim the biggest title of his career. Draper's triumph marks a significant milestone as he becomes the fourth British player to win an ATP Masters 1000 title. This victory also sees him join Cameron Norrie as the second British player to conquer Indian Wells. Sunday’s win was achieved with remarkable efficiency, as Draper powered through the match without facing a single break point, concluding the final in just over an hour.
Draper’s path to the title was marked by outstanding performances, including a semifinal victory over two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz. The 22-year-old player's performance at Indian Wells has propelled him from 14th to seventh in the ATP rankings. Draper's success follows his impressive achievements last year when he won two ATP Tour titles in Vienna and Stuttgart.
Reflecting on his journey, Draper shared insights into the challenges he overcame to reach this point in his career.
“I almost thought about stopping for a while, I wasn’t quite into it. It took a lot for me to kind of grow up and think to myself that I could really be a top player … A lot of adversity, a lot of sacrifices, and I’m just trying to take it all in in the moment.” – Jack Draper
Meanwhile, in the women's competition, Mirra Andreeva secured a hard-fought victory against Aryna Sabalenka with scores of 2-6, 6-4, 6-3. Her triumph in the California desert has made her the tournament’s third-youngest female champion. Andreeva's remarkable performance continues her winning streak, making her the youngest player to achieve 12 consecutive victories at WTA 1000 tournaments since the format's introduction in 2009.
Andreeva's journey to the title was nothing short of impressive, as she defeated three high-ranked players at Indian Wells. Her back-to-back triumphs at WTA 1000 events make her the youngest woman since Martina Hingis in 1997 to achieve such a feat. Following this victory, Andreeva is set to rise to a career-high No. 6 in the world rankings.
Reflecting on her performance, Andreeva expressed gratitude towards herself for her determination and perseverance.
“I would again like to thank myself for fighting until the end and always believing in me and for never quitting,” – Mirra Andreeva
Andreeva also commented on the challenging match against Sabalenka.
“I was running like a rabbit today because Aryna, she’s been sending bullets and it was really hard to just keep up. I just tried my best and that’s why I would thank myself because I think that I played a little part also.” – Mirra Andreeva
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