Emma Raducanu says she was thrilled to see childhood friend Jack Draper have his big day at this past Indian Wells Masters and now be known as a Masters champion and a top-10 player.
After putting up a solid run at the Australian Open and also making the Doha final last month, the top-ranked British male tennis player proved his early form in 2025 wasn’t a fluke and delivered high-level tennis in the desert to win his first Masters title. And his Indian Wells title was definitely earned and not given since he had to beat Joao Fonseca, Jenson Brooksby, Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton, Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune.
By winning Indian Wells, Draper – whose previous career-high ranking saw him sit at No. 12 – also broke into the top-10 for the first time in his career and is now the seventh-ranked player in the game.
Raducanu on Draper’s Indian Wells win
“Yeah of course, I was so happy for him. He is someone I have known since we were so small and we were literally kids. We grew up together so I know how much work he has put in and how much he deserves it. I am just really happy and rooting for him,” the British WTA star told Sky Sports when asked about Draper’s first Masters win.
“I know how much work he’s put in, how much he deserves it.” 🏆
Emma Raducanu said she’s so happy for Jack Draper to win his first Masters title 👏 pic.twitter.com/To0xUte1SN
— Sky Sports Tennis (@SkySportsTennis) March 19, 2025
Raducanu being happy and speaking highly of Draper shouldn’t come as a surprise, considering that the 23-year-old defended her multiple times in the past. After the 2021 US Open champion suffered a disappointing first-round loss at Flushing Meadows last year, the reigning Indian Wells champion defended her by saying that “unfair expectations” were placed on her.
Meanwhile, during his Indian Wells run, Draper also suggested that the tennis culture in the UK could be better and remarked that he would love to help fix that with Raducanu.
Tennis World USA