Jack Draper described his R32 victory at the Indian Wells Open as ‘really difficult,’ likening it to ‘solving a puzzle.’ While he felt his play lacked precision, he believes his ball-striking is strong. Now, he prepares to face Taylor Fritz, who has high praise for the young Brit. Fritz recognizes Draper’s skill, noting, “He’s (Draper) a very good player and I think he’s probably better than his ranking is and we’ve had some tight ones,‘ and predicts a challenging match. Which player will gain the upper hand in this R16 encounter?

Taylor Fritz vs Jack Draper: Preview

Taylor Fritz, who enjoyed a stellar 2024 with two titles and major final appearances, faced a stark contrast in his 2025 season’s beginning. His peak performance was a quarterfinal run at Delray Beach. At Indian Wells, he won his R64 match convincingly, but then struggled to a three-set victory over Alejandro Tabilo.

Well, Jack Draper has been in good form this year. He reached the final of the Qatar Open this season and hasn’t yet dropped a set in Indian Wells. He will be entering this match following his 7-5,6-4 win over another American, Jenson Brooksby, in the R32. 

Fritz vs Draper: Head-to-Head

Taylor Fritz has crossed paths with Jack Draper four times in his career. Currently, their H2H record is well tied at 2-2.

• 2024 ATP Masters 1000 Paris R32: Draper 7-6(6),4-6,6-4.
• 2024 Paris Olympics R32: Fritz 6(3)-7,6-3,6-2.
• 2024 Munich QF: Fritz 4-6,6-3,7-6(1).
• 2022 London/Queen’s Club R32: Draper 6-3,6-2.

Prediction: Fritz will win this match in three sets

This match marks their first encounter on an outdoor hard court. Taylor Fritz’s proven track record on this surface, including his 2022 Indian Wells title, suggests he’s capable of delivering a high level of play. Despite recent form inconsistencies, Fritz holds a significant advantage, particularly with the support of the California crowd.

Talking about the numbers, Fritz (4) currently has a win-loss record of 8-4, whereas it’s 9-3 for Draper (14) at the moment. If we take a look at their playing styles, Draper loves playing a fearless brand of tennis. He is a natural right-hander, but plays with his left hand, essentially making him a ‘switch-hitter‘ in tennis. His strong baseline game, along with powerful serves and impeccable backhands, makes him a real threat against any opponent on the Tour.

Conversely, Taylor Fritz’s game is mainly focused on his fiery serves. He has already hit 132 aces this season! Other than that, Fritz is an offensive baseliner, and he loves hammering powerful groundstrokes to force errors out of his opponents. His most consistent and powerful stroke is his forehand, and he also possesses a strong backhand. Even his court coverage is truly exceptional.

With these weapons and the support from the home crowd, I feel it’d be a really tough ask for Draper to hold on to his natural game for too long in this epic battle. So, it’s the American!