Injury-Plagued Draper Returns to Indian Wells with High Hopes
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Jack Draper, the 2024 Indian Wells champion, returns to California after a near six-month injury absence. The 24-year-old Englishman is rebuilding his game and has been practicing during his layoff.
Draper, now ranked 14th in the world, stunned Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals and beat Holger Rune in the final last year, launching his rise to fourth in the world.
However, he was hindered by elbow pain and shut down his 2025 campaign. Draper skipped the Australian Open but returned to competition in a Davis Cup qualifier followed by a first-round victory in Dubai in February.
Draper says he's fit enough to go the distance in the tournament, although with his lack of match play, a repeat would be a big ask.
He will launch his defense against either Fabian Marozsan or Roberto Bautista Agut on Saturday, with Novak Djokovic a possible quarter-final foe.
