Jack Draper up to career-high world ranking after Indian Wells win

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Jack Draper has climbed to seventh in the world rankings by winning at Indian Wells
Jack Draper has climbed to seventh in the world rankings by winning at Indian Wells

British tennis No1 Jack Draper insists he is hungry for more success after climbing to a career-high world ranking of seventh with the biggest title of his career at Indian Wells.

But the 23-year-old Londoner is refusing to set specific targets, reasoning that his first ATP Masters 1000 victory on Sunday showed that progress was a result of process.

“It’s definitely a big moment for me, getting inside the top 10 and to win my first Masters title just adds to my inner belief and confidence,” said Draper, who beat Holger Rune 6-2 6-2 in the final.

“I’m not really thinking about any outcomes, ranking-wise or events-wise. I feel like I have achieved a lot in the last year and it’s been nothing to do with setting goals.

“Setting goals and saying you’re going to do something, it’s important to believe it but if you’re not putting in the work and putting in the sacrifice and the days of consistency together, then you’re not going to achieve anything.

“Obviously I want to be a great player and I want to achieve amazing things in this sport but my main goal is keep on improving and keep on knuckling down. 

“I know there is a long way ahead of me. I’m very ambitious. I don’t want to just stop here. I want to keep on going.”

Draper’s Indian Wells breakthrough saw him rack up wins over fellow rising star Ben Shelton, US No1 Taylor Fritz and, most impressive of all, four-time Grand Slam winner Carlos Alcaraz. 

It followed a run to the final of the Qatar Open last month and builds on a strong 2024 in which he reached the US Open semi-finals and won ATP 250 and 500-level titles.

“It feels incredible to win here,” he said. “I have been watching this tournament since I was a young guy, watching all the champions play on this big court. It means the world to me, honestly, to be able to be a champion here.”

Draper is only the second Briton to win either the men’s or women’s singles titles in the 50-year history of Indian Wells, the ATP Tour’s flagship event, after Cameron Norrie in 2021.