Jack Draper is becoming a force to be reckoned with. Once hailed to take forward Andy Murray’s legacy, he’s finally proving his caliber, having overcome injury and health concerns. On Saturday in the Indian Wells semis, he ousted two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in an absolute thriller that ended 6-1, 0-6, 6-4. While it paves the way for his first Masters 1000 final, Draper has got one final challenge in front of him – the Dane Holger Rune. However, before he takes on Rune in the summit clash on Sunday evening, Coco Gauff’s ex-coach showers praises on him. What’s he got to say about the “Mad Man” now?

Draper’s journey at Indian Wells was incredible. He breezed past Joao Fonseca before facing Jenson Brooksby, who had been off the court for nearly two years. After trailing 1-4 in the first set, Draper averted what could have been his lowest-ranked Tour defeat as he found his rhythm and eventually sealed the deal 7-5, 6-4. Next, he dominated Taylor Fritz, the No. 4 seed and the 2022 champion, winning 91% of his first-serve points.

Draper’s next challenge was Ben Shelton, a fellow lefty with a powerful serve. Both players were seeking their first ATP Masters 1000 semifinal. Draper took the opening set with a single break before battling back from 0-3 in the second set. Shelton struggled with consistency, hitting five double faults, including two in a crucial game at 5-5. Draper capitalized on this to edge the American 6-4, 7-5. Eventually, he took down Alcaraz to make his way into his first Indian Wells final. The Brit’s incredible run hasn’t gone unnoticed, for sure.

On March 16, Brad Gilbert, who coached Gauff until September 2024, expressed his joy for Draper on X, writing, “What a tournament 🏟️ for Mad Man 👨 Draper started with good win over Joseca 3 Americans 🇺🇸 then yesterday escape from Alcaraz, been so impressed with his movement and defense especially for his size, also seems to be serving bigger then I’ve seen before 💪👊.”

Gilbert had praised Draper’s improved movement and defense a few days back as well, noting, “Madman Draper has improved in his movement and defense a lot very impressive for his size 😎👌👍”

As Draper made his way into the Top 10 and his first Masters 1000 final, the semifinal against the reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz was one tough challenge for him. Interestingly, after losing the second set to Alcaraz, he gave a pep talk to himself during the changeovers.

Draper gets candid about how he pushed himself to win against Alcaraz

On Saturday, Jack Draper stunned Carlos Alcaraz in the Indian Wells semi-finals, securing a thrilling 6-1, 0-6, 6-4 victory. This win not only marked Draper’s first ATP Masters 1000 final but also snapped Alcaraz’s 16-match winning streak at the event. However, unlike his previous matches, where he won in straight sets, the Spaniard posed more of a challenge to the Brit. Speaking to the Press afterwards, Draper acknowledged that fatigue was creeping up on him.

“It was a strange match in all honesty,” the 23-year-old reflected after the match. “Carlos came out a little flat, I sensed that. I had a chance in the first game of the second, and he came up with an ace.”

Despite dominating the first set, Draper’s energy dropped significantly in the second, losing it 6-0. He admitted, “I felt like my energy really dropped. I kind of felt a bit lethargic, and my legs stopped working.” But he didn’t let that setback define him. After the second set, he took a moment to regroup, literally looking in the mirror and telling himself, “You need to really get your stuff together.”

The third set was a nail-biter, with Draper claiming two breaks of serve to go up 5-2. Alcaraz fought back, reducing the deficit to 5-4, but the Brit held his nerve to serve for the match successfully at the second attempt.

With this win, Jack Draper will enter the Top 10 rankings for the first time on Monday. Additionally, all eyes are on his final against Holger Rune. Can Draper pull off another surprise victory? Share your thoughts in the comments below!