INDIAN WELLS, United States, 16 March 2025 (BSS/AFP) – Britain’s Jack Draper put an end to Carlos Alcaraz’s quest for a rare third consecutive Indian Wells ATP Masters title on Saturday, delivering a stunning 6-1, 0-6, 6-4 victory to secure his place in the final.
The world number 14 will now face Denmark’s Holger Rune in Sunday’s championship match, after Rune defeated world number six Daniil Medvedev 7-5, 6-4. Medvedev, the runner-up to Alcaraz in the last two editions of the tournament, was unable to break past Rune’s determined play.
“I got a little tight in the end,” admitted Draper, who is set to break into the top 10 of the world rankings for the first time next week. “But I’m proud of how I held my nerve.”
Alcaraz had been aiming to join Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic as the only men to have won three consecutive Indian Wells titles. However, Draper halted the Spaniard’s 16-match winning streak in the Californian desert with a blistering start, taking the first set in just 23 minutes as Alcaraz struggled to counter the Briton’s powerful left-handed serve.
The second set saw a dramatic turnaround, with Alcaraz dominating play. After saving a break point with a 137 mph ace in the opening game, he went on to break Draper three times, forcing a decider.
Draper, experiencing a love set loss for the first time in his career, responded with resilience. He broke Alcaraz for a 2-1 lead in the third set, a game that involved a lengthy video review confirming he had managed to scoop a winner off an Alcaraz drop shot before the ball bounced twice.
The Briton secured another break at 5-2 after a marathon game that saw five deuces and four missed game points from Alcaraz. Draper’s nerves were evident as he failed to serve out the match on his first attempt, but he capitalised on his second opportunity, sealing victory and reaching the first ATP Masters 1000 final of his career.