(Reuters) - Briton Jack Draper turned his childhood dreams into reality at Indian Wells on Sunday, claiming his maiden Masters 1000 title and catapulting himself into the top 10 for the first time after a rapid ascent through his sport.
The 23-year-old downed Denmark's Holger Rune 6-2 6-2 in a display of total dominance in the final, after overcoming the twice defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-final and swatting aside top U.S. hopes Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton.
"I have been watching this tournament since I was a young guy, watching all the champions play on this big court," said Draper, who will be ranked seventh after picking up the title.
"It means the world to me, honestly, to be able to be a champion here."
It was only 18 months ago that Draper - then ranked 123nd in the world - emerged as the unlikely hope for British men's tennis when he defied injury and the odds to reach the fourth round of the 2023 U.S. Open.
He quickly added to his credentials from there, beating Italian Matteo Berrettini for his first ATP title in Stuttgart in June.
Weeks later, he was in the final four at Flushing, becoming the first British man since Andy Murray in 2012 to reach the U.S. Open semi-final and he picked up his first ATP 500-level title in October in Vienna.
"You dream of winning this stuff when you're a kid. I think over the years, especially when you're playing pro and stuff, it kind of gets lost a little bit, because maybe that, you know, when you're young you think, 'Oh, I'm just going to rock up and win'," he told reporters.
"It doesn't work that way. You've got to go through many ups and downs and emotions."
Draper, whose competition schedule early this year was limited due to a nagging hip issue, credited his coach with providing a structured approach to help him weather the highs and lows.
"I want to achieve amazing things in this sport, but my main goal is keep on improving and keep on knuckling down," he said.
"I know there is a long way ahead of me. I'm very ambitious. I don't want to just stop here."
(Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; Editing by Michael Perry)
