In the joyful aftermath of his triumph in Vienna late last year, the deep satisfaction Jack Draper felt from his rapid progress prompted him to look ahead. Draper does not often think about his specific goals, preferring to simply focus on his daily work, but the ultimate objective was clear. He saw himself in the mix at the very top of the game, chasing down players such as Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. He believed he was not so far from doing so.
After a series of sublime performances over the past 10 days secured for Draper his first Masters 1000 title at Indian Wells, the 23-year-old is now even closer. Not only has he reached No 7 in the ATP rankings by defeating four top-15 opponents in succession, including a stellar semi-final win against Alcaraz, he has positioned himself as a top contender for years to come. If Draper can continue to keep significant injuries at bay, there is no reason why he cannot compete for and potentially win grand slam titles.
