Jack Draper booked a first ever Masters 1000 final and a place in the world’s top 10 as he beat Carlos Alcaraz 6-1 0-6 6-4 in a thrilling semi final at Indian Wells.
Draper will pay 12th-seeded Dane Holger Rune in Sunday’s final – live on Sky Sports Tennis from 9pm – after earning his second career win over four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz, who has also emerged triumphant at Indian Wells in each of the last two years.
Britain’s Jack Draper reacts during the men…s singles semi-final tennis match against Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz at the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells, California, on March 15, 2025. (Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP
The British No 1 stormed the opening set 6-1 in just 23 minutes, only to then lose the second in even more emphatic fashion 6-0.
The key moment came at 15-15 in the third game of the deciding set when Draper won a controversial point on the Alcaraz serve, going on to break the Spaniard two points later.
The chair umpire had called for a double bounce aagainst Draper as he succesfully returned a drop shot, but the Brit was ultimately awarded the point after a couple of VAR reviews.
Draper would break the Alcaraz serve once more, as he appeared briefly to be cruising towards arguably the biggest win of his career to date, only to then be broken himself when serving for the match the first time.
Draper would not let a second opportunity slip through his grasp, however, the 2024 US Open semi-finalist, clinching victory with his first match point.
Live Tennis
Sunday 16th March 8:30pm
Rune beats Medvedev to book final spot
Holger Rune celebrates after defeating Daniil Medvedev in the Indian Wells semi-finals
Rune beat fifth-seeded Daniil Medvedev in straight sets, 7-6 6-4, on Saturday to advance to the Indian Wells final where he’ll face 13th seed Draper.
Rune and Medvedev were head-to-head in the tense opening set where they traded early breaks but the Dane battled through a marathon six-deuce eighth game to hold his serve.
Rune then carried that momentum into the second set, breaking the former US Open champion to love in the third game before forcing a tired Medvedev into an error at the end of a 37-shot rally and then claimed victory with a forehand down the line.
The 21-year-old Rune, from Denmark, has four ATP Tour titles with his biggest victory coming at the 2022 ATP Masters 1000 Paris event.
Tale of the Tape
Holger Rune vs Daniil Medvedev
Holger Rune vs Daniil Medvedev
Watch the ATP and WTA Tours, as well as the US Open in New York, live on Sky Sports in 2025 or stream with NOW and the Sky Sports app, giving Sky Sports customers access to over 50 per cent more live sport this year at no extra cost. Find out more here.
