Draper: 'I'm very ambitious... I don't want to just stop here'

Jack Draper produced a remarkable performance at the BNP Paribas Open to claim his first ATP Masters 1000 title, the biggest victory of his career. But instead of immediately declaring the next goal, the 23-year-old is determined to continue improving to create such moments again.

“[I'm] not really thinking about any outcomes, ranking-wise or events-wise. I feel like I have achieved a lot in the last year, and it's been nothing to do with setting goals,” Draper said. “Setting goals and saying you're going to do something, it's important to believe it, but if you're not putting in the work and putting in the sacrifice and the days of consistency together, then you're not going to achieve anything.

“Me and my coach, we try waking up each day and approaching practice, approaching everything I do in a very structured way and a very consistent way so that I don't have many bad days. So when I do maybe have a bad day, my level is still very high. So obviously I want to be a great player, and I want to achieve amazing things in this sport, but my main goal is keep on improving and keep on knuckling down."

The Briton added: “I know there is a long way ahead of me. I'm very ambitious. I don't want to just stop here. I want to keep on going.”

One year ago, then the No. 37 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, Draper lost in the first round in the California desert. The lefty fell in three sets to Australian Christopher O’Connell.

“Last year I lost here, and I felt so uncomfortable playing here. My serve was really struggling. I didn't feel like I was in control of the ball, and I lost my way mentally last year,” Draper said. “So I knew coming here this year is a challenge, not only for me but for a lot of the players.”

Draper certainly answered the challenge, defeating a slew of stars to claim the trophy. From his opening match against reigning Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF champion Joao Fonseca through the final, the 13th seed showed his class, losing just one set. His opponents included three ATP Masters 1000 champions — Taylor Fritz, Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune.

“It feels incredible to win here. I have been watching this tournament since I was a young guy, watching all the champions play on this big court,” Draper said. “It means the world to me, honestly, to be able to be a champion here.”

The victory fans will remember from Draper’s run came Saturday in the semi-finals. The Briton lost the second set to two-time defending champion Alcaraz without taking a game. But instead of wilting under the Spaniard’s pressure, Draper rose to the occasion.

“I think yesterday was definitely a big moment for me. I hadn't felt that way on the court for a while where I felt like my energy was kind of sapped from the emotions from the match with Carlos and the environment and who I was playing,” Draper said. “I think that third set yesterday was huge for me, because I came in today knowing this is a final, I might have the same feelings. But in truth, I felt kind of a bit nervous before I played, but then when I got out on the court, I felt amazing.

“I felt like I was in control. I knew what I needed to do. I just went for it and played to win.”

WEST COAST DREAMS COME ALIVE 🏆🌴@jackdraper0 conquers the California desert, defeating Rune 6-2 6-2 for his maiden ATP Masters 1000 title!@BNPPARIBASOPEN | #TennisParadise pic.twitter.com/GrfBx2cBdb

— ATP Tour (@atptour) March 16, 2025

The new No. 7 in the PIF ATP Rankings knows this did not come out of nowhere. This was the culmination of a lifetime of hard work to position himself for such an opportunity.

“You train every day. You put in all the sacrifice, all the work, the team around you, my family,” Draper said. “I have put in years and years and years of working.”