BNP Paribas Open Indian Wells 2025: Jack Draper into first Masters final with epic win over Carlos Alcaraz
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Jack Draper is one match away from the biggest title of his career after the British No.1 stunned back-to-back reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz to reach the BNP Paribas Open Indian Wells final.
Draper held his nerve after a second set surge from the four-time Grand Slam champion to come through 6-1, 0-6, 6-4 in an hour and 45 minutes.
It’s the second time that Draper has defeated the former world No.1, and it brings an end to Alcaraz’s 16-match winning streak at Indian Wells.
He’s the first British player to beat two top five ranked players in the same tournament since Andy Murray in 2016 (ATP Finals).
The victory also guarantees that he will break into the ATP top 10 for the first time on Monday.
The British No.1 will now move to face world No.13 Holger Rune in his first ATP Masters 1000 final after the Dane secured a 7-5, 6-4 win over Daniil Medvedev in the semi-finals.
“I feel incredible obviously to beat Carlos in this sort of stage in the tournament on that court,” Draper said after yet another landmark victory.
“I have watched the top players in the world play on that court for many, many years now, and it feels amazing, honestly, both those things. Obviously I’ve got one more to go tomorrow, so all my sort of feelings and emotions on that, but obviously very proud of myself and the achievement.
“It was a strange match in all honesty. Carlos came out a little flat, I sensed that.
“Against the top players in the world, they can change their momentum very quickly. I got lost out there for 25 minutes, but in the third, I was really proud of my competitiveness, my attitude and I somehow managed to get over the line.”
Despite being the reigning champion, it was Alcaraz who came out looking the more nervy of the two in the first set and a brace of double faults in his opening service game gifted Draper the early advantage.
Playing in one of the biggest matches of his career, Draper kept his cool throughout the opener – dropping just five points on serve and breaking again to take a one set lead after just 23 minutes.
The Roland Garros and Wimbledon champion quickly brushed himself off and got off to an electric start in the second set. After a couple of lengthy deuce games to start the set, it was a double fault from Draper that put Alcaraz 2-0 in front, and from there he only ascended.
The Spaniard had finally managed to find his range and was equal to everything Draper threw at him. The 17-time ATP title-winner wrestled all momentum in his favour – rattling off six straight games, finishing with a clean return winner, to draw level.
Into the final set and it seemed that the match was falling heavily in Alcaraz’s favour, but the 23-year-old Briton showed the resilience of a player at the very top of the game.
Draper got himself on the board with an early service hold before one of the major turning points in the match at 1-1 15-15, where the new video review system was called into action on a double bounce.
The point was reversed in Draper’s favour after the review showed that he managed to reach Alcaraz’s drop shot before the second bounce and the Brit clinched the break just two points later.
The 2024 US Open semi-finalist went on to break again and had the chance to serve for the match at 5-2. Nerves easily could have taken over after Alcaraz found a way to overturn one break deficit, but the Brit made no mistakes on the second time of asking – finding a big serve on his first match point.
Draper is looking to become only the second British man to win the Indian Wells title after his Davis Cup teammate Cam Norrie in 2021.
In Sunday’s final he will take on Rune, who ended his run of seven successive semi-final losses against fifth seed and former runner-up Medvedev.
Rune won the only previous meeting between the two in the quarter-final of the Cincinnati Masters last year.
Indian Wells final schedule & how to watch
Jack Draper vs Holger Rune in the Indian Wells final will take place on Sunday 16 March not before 21:00 UK time.
You can watch the match exclusively live on Sky Sports and via NOW TV.
