British No 1 Jack Draper has advanced to the last 16 of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells after defeating American Jenson Brooksby in straight sets.
Draper secured a 7-5, 6-4 victory despite a shaky start to the match in the Californian desert.
The 13th seed showed impressive resilience as he overcame early difficulties to dispatch Brooksby in one hour and 42 minutes under challenging 26C conditions.
The win continues Draper’s promising form this season as he progresses further in the prestigious tournament.
Jack Draper emerged victorious at Indian Wells
Reuters
Draper found himself in early trouble, falling behind 4-1 in the opening set as Brooksby targeted his backhand.
The Brit’s frustration became evident when he slammed his racket to the floor after missing a break-back point at 4-2.
This moment of anger appeared to refocus Draper, who immediately won the next three points and began his comeback.
He eventually broke Brooksby’s serve to level the set before securing another crucial break to claim the opener 7-5.
The momentum carried into the second set, where Draper broke early and maintained his advantage.
Draper displayed remarkable sportsmanship after his victory, writing “good to have a great player back” on the camera lens.
The gesture acknowledged Brooksby’s return to tennis after a lengthy absence from the sport.
The two players shared a warm embrace at the net following the match, with Draper applauding his opponent off the court.
Brooksby, formerly ranked 33rd in the world, has been sidelined for two years due to injury issues and a suspension related to missed doping tests, which was later reduced.
Speaking after the match, Draper told Sky Sports Tennis: “I felt confident, Brooksby is someone who makes life very difficult for players and I didn’t really know what to expect, he hasn’t played for a while, I haven’t seen him play.”
“It wasn’t the cleanest performance from my side. I have a lot that I can improve on and a lot of chances that I missed, but that’s tennis, you can’t play your best the whole time.”
“I’m glad with the way I stayed calm and kept going to get the win in the end.”
Jack Draper wrote a touching message to his opponent on a camera lens
Tennis TV
Draper acknowledged his familiarity with Brooksby’s playing style, having faced him twice previously.
“I knew from the first ball what to expect, I’ve played him twice and both times it went my way,” Draper said.
“He’s a fighter and competitor and I knew he would want his revenge and I’m glad that I was able to fend him off and come through.”
The victory marks Draper’s third win over Brooksby, with their previous encounters also ending in the Brit’s favour before the American’s two-year absence.
Jack Draper could now face American third seed Taylor Fritz
Sky Sports
Draper will now face either Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo or American third seed Taylor Fritz in the last 16.
The British star has enjoyed an impressive 2025 season thus far, with his only defeats coming against Carlos Alcaraz in the Australian Open fourth round and Andrey Rublev in the Qatar Open final.
“I feel physically good, mentally good,” Draper added. “We’ve seen a lot of top players go out early this week because conditions are so difficult.”
The tournament continues live on Sky Sports until March 16th.