“I just want to keep on progressing and keep on improving and keep on going for more success,” said Jack Draper after making it to the Indian Wells semis. And staying true to his words, he sank the defending champion Carlos Alcaraz on Saturday. In a thrilling semifinal, the Brit ended the former World No.1’s hopes of a three-peat at the BNP Paribas Open. And guess what? Draper is now in his maiden Masters 1000 final. He will go against Denmark’s Holger Rune in what promises to be an epic showdown. But who’s got an edge to lift the trophy in the Californian desert and grab that $1,201,125 of prize money? One thing is certain: fans at the Indian Wells will witness a new champion.
Jack Draper v Holger Rune: Preview
So far, Jack Draper has been consistent this season. At the Australian Open in January, he managed to reach the fourth round before Carlos Alcaraz ousted him. However, the Brit avenged that loss in Saturday’s SF at the Indian Wells as he forced the Spaniard out of competition with a score line of 6-1, 0-6, 6-4.
After Melbourne, Draper entered the Qatar Open last month, where he made it to the summit clash before losing to Andrey Rublev. At the Indian Wells, the World No.14 started his campaign with a dominating victory against the 18-year-old prodigy Joao Fonseca. He then went on to eliminate three Americans in back-to-back matches, taking out Jason Brooksby in R32, World No.4 Taylor Fritz in R16, and Ben Shelton in the QF before eventually overcoming Alcaraz’s challenge.
Holger Rune, on the flip side, has failed to be consistent in the 2025 season so far. The Dane started his season at the Brisbane International, where he was out early in R32. Then, at the Australian Open, he reached the fourth round before losing to World No.1 Jannik Sinner. In Rotterdam, Argentina, and Mexico, Rune failed to make a deep run after crashing out in R16. However, at the Indian Wells, the 21-year-old has dominated his opponents.
He began his campaign by ousting Frenchman Corentin Moutet before beating another French player, Ugo Humbert, in R32. Rune overcame Stefanos Tsitsipas and Tallon Griekspoor in R16 and QF, respectively, before taking out two-time BNP Paribas Open runner-up Daniil Medvedev as well. In the SF round, Rune edged the Russian out with a score line of 7-5, 6-4.
Draper vs Rune: Head-to-Head
Jack Draper and Holger Rune have met each other only once on the tour so far, and that encounter went in favor of Rune who, as a result leads the h2h tally 1-0 currently.
2024 ATP Masters 1000 Cincinnati QF: Rune (6-4, 6-2)
Prediction: Jack Draper to win in straight sets
Jack Draper appears to be in the form of his life at the Indian Wells. Moreover, he has managed to make deep runs in each of the events he has participated in so far this season. His singles record of 12-2 speaks volumes about his current form. Currently, he’s on a five-match winning streak in the Californian desert. After slaying the giant Alcaraz, his confidence will be sky-high going into the title clash. Thanks to his journey to the final, Draper will also make an entry to the top 10 for the first time in his career when the ranking list gets updated next.
Speaking of Holger Rune, he’s not been consistent of late, and that’s evident in his win-loss record in the 2025 season, which stands at 10-5. But given his solid run at the BNP Paribas Open, he can’t be written off.
When it comes to playing styles, Draper is a natural right-hander but prefers to play with his left hand. Mostly, he relies on his baseline game, powerful serve, and great movement around the net. In short, he can adapt very easily in terms of court coverage. He can also finish points by approaching the net at times to build pressure on the opponents. Not to mention, his left-hand serve, specifically the sliced serve, is key to his performance.
His opponent, Rune, is also an all-court player and possesses various defensive skills. While he has a reliable backhand, he is also a great server and an aggressive returner. And how can you forget the tweener? Lately, Rune has started trying that too. He nailed it perfectly during the fourth round match against Tsitsipas when he hit a between-the-legs lob to earn a crucial point.
However, considering Draper’s overall form this season, he looks to be the favorite to script history in the Indian Wells. The prediction is for the Brit to beat Rune in straight sets.
The post Indian Wells 2025 Final: Jack Draper v Holger Rune; Preview, Head-to-Head, and Prediction appeared first on EssentiallySports.
