Boris Becker has issued a warning to Carlos Alcaraz and other tennis superstars after British ace Jack Draper triumphed at Indian Wells.
Draper claimed the biggest title of his career by storming to a 6-2 6-2 win over Holger Rune in the the Indian Wells final.
Draper, who powered past Alcaraz to reach the final, delivered another impressive display to brush past Rune in just 68 minutes.
The Brit set the tone for the encounter by breaking Rune in the first game of the match and stormed to the first set with a second break of serve.
And the 23-year-old broke again at the start of the second set, surging to victory as his impressive serve proved too much for an error-strewn Rune.
The Brit entered the world’s top ten following his victory over Alcaraz in the semi-final, but his triumph in Sunday’s final will now propel him up to World No.7.
The victory is Draper’s third ATP title but is his first ATP Masters 1000 triumph and underscores his burgeoning potential which was been evident since his impressive run to the US Open semi-final earlier in the year.
‘It’s incredible. I wasn’t expecting this,’ Draper told Sky Sports shortly after his victory.
‘I put in a lot of work over time. I’m just so grateful and happy to be out here to play with my body feeling healthy and feeling great in my mind.
‘All the work I’ve done over the last few years, it feels like it’s all coming together on the big stage. I cannot put that into words.
‘I feel like I deserve it. The amount of adversity, the sacrifices, the time people around me have put into me.
‘It’s an emotional feeling to know how much you’ve gone through to be here now.
‘To say I’m going to seventh in the world. I cannot tell you how much that means to me.’
Tennis legend Becker hailed Draper following his impressive victory and suggested he could rival Alcaraz and other elite players for Grand Slams this year.
‘I like Jack Draper,’ he posted on X. ‘So well spoken , educated, humble and a beast on the tennis court!
‘I want more from him rest of the year… Be aware Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev.’
Tim Henman reacts to Jack Draper victory
Former British tennis star Tim Henman also paid tribute to Draper, saying he made a ‘big statement’ this week.
‘Absolutely brilliant performance,’ Henman said on Sky Sports. ‘It’s been building, not just in this tournament but over the last weeks, months and years.
‘It’s been great to see Jack come out and deliver time and again in the tournament where he didn’t have the easiest draw.
‘He absolutely took Rune apart 6-2 6-2 to win his first Masters title, this is a day he will remember forever.
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‘Watching the match unfold, it was very much one-way traffic. The second set was going to be closer, we knew there was going to be a reaction, but Jack handled his emotions, game plan and strategy so well.
‘When he didn’t have any of the physical issues, he was then able to execute his game plan. To beat someone like Rune in straight sets is a big statement.’
Elsewhere in the women’s event, Mirra Andreeva continued her spectacular rise after the 17-year-old won 2-6 6-4 6-3 against world number one Aryna Sabalenka.
The Russian has now won back-to-back titles after her win in Dubai at the end of February and rises to sixth in the world.
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