A focused routine has already taken Jack Draper to a landmark moment at the 2025 BNP Paribas Open, and there could be more to come.
The 23-year-old Briton advanced to his maiden ATP Masters 1000 semi-final by defeating Ben Shelton on Thursday in Indian Wells. He is now set for a last-four clash against two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, in which Draper can secure his rise into the Top 10 of the PIF ATP Rankings for the first time with victory.
“It’s a bit crazy, really. So I just literally don’t think [about it],” said Draper after his 6-4, 7-5 win against Shelton. “You know, I just end up practising, eating, playing Monopoly Deal, getting ready for my match, competing as hard as I can. The result is the result, and then if I win, then great. If I don’t, then I get back to work the next day.
“Obviously it’s really exciting, all those things. I was thinking about those things when I was a kid, wanting to be in the Top 10 in the world and wanting to play in later rounds of huge competitions like this one. So I don’t really set goals because I feel like I’m living my dream by playing on these stages.”
If he defeats Alcaraz, Draper will jump above Alex de Minaur, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Andrey Rublev to No. 8 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, while he could rise as high as No. 7 in Monday’s edition of the PIF ATP Rankings by lifting the biggest title of his career in Indian Wells. While the chance to keep such elite company could prove a distraction for some, the Briton is not looking past his Saturday appointment with Alcaraz.
“I’m always proud of myself, always looking at what I’m doing and thinking that I’m doing a good job and stuff like that,” said the two-time ATP Tour champion Draper. “Obviously in tennis you’re in a sport where there is always the next match, and you have to prove yourself every time. Certainly, for myself, my mindset… I feel like I’m never content with anything. I always want to have more wins and more opportunities to play top players.
“I just want to keep on progressing and keep on improving and keep on going for more success. Obviously at the end of the weeks, I look back on what I have done and I’m incredibly proud of myself, but right now it’s all about my next match.”
Draper is under no illusions about the task he faces on Saturday in the California desert, where he will aim to snap Alcaraz’s 16-match Indian Wells winning streak. He trails the Spaniard 1-3 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series, with his sole victory coming on the Queen’s Club grass in 2024.
“He’s obviously a great champion, already doing amazing things in the game,” said Draper, when asked about the prospect of playing Alcaraz before the Spaniard’s quarter-final victory against Francisco Cerundolo. “So good for the sport, not only for the players but also for spectators to watch him. I think he’s setting the benchmark really high, and that’s good for a player like myself because I watch him and play against him, and I think what I need to do to be at his level and to hopefully compete for big events.
“I’d obviously love to get the chance to play Carlos again. I think it would be a great match. He brings so much to the court, especially in these conditions. He absolutely loves these courts. It would be another opportunity for me to show again hopefully that I belong at the top.”