Novak Djokovic applauds Indian Wells champ Jack Draper after own heartbreak at tournament

Novak Djokovic recently applauded Jack Draper for his victory at the BNP Paribas Open. While the Serb was knocked out of the event in his opening round, Draper defeated Holger Rune in the finals to lift the crown.

Draper entered Indian Wells as the 13th seed, and got his campaign off to a strong start when he beat Joao Fonseca and Jenson Brooksby in straight sets in his opening round matches. The Brit's first big win at the event came in the round of 16, where he outdid American World No.4 Taylor Fritz, before beating Ben Shelton in the quarterfinals.

In the semifinals, Draper pulled off a spectacular upset as he beat Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz. He then went on to dominate Holger Rune in the finals, 6-2, 6-2. After his win, the 23-year-old got a shout-out from Novak Djokovic, as the Serb posted an Instagram story to re-share a post celebrating Jack Draper’s victory and captioned it with two ‘clapping hands’ emojis.

Via Djokovic's Instagram story

Djokovic also praised Draper after defeating him in the first round of the 2021 Wimbledon Championships. The Brit had received a wildcard entry in the tournament.

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When Novak Djokovic heaped praise on Jack Draper after their Wimbledon encounter

Novak Djokovic and Jack Draper at the 2021 Wimbledon Championships (Image Source: Getty)

Four years before Jack Draper made a splash at the BNP Paribas Open, the Brit was handed a first round exit at the 2021 Wimbledon Championships, by none other than Novak Djokovic.

After their match, Djokovic was all praise for the youngster, saying in a press conference,

“He was playing well, he was fighting. Obviously for him, a unique occasion playing for the first time on Wimbledon Center Court. He's done well, he had break chances in the first set to come back into the match but he came up with some good serves.”

The Serb went on to highlight Draper's athletic build and his serve, saying,

“He's a youngster, 19 years old, but he's tall, strong. He's got that lefty serve that is very awkward for right-handed players to face, particularly on grass. I thought he was behaving nice on the court, I mean he was backing himself, he was trying his best.”

Djokovic added that Draper had the all-round game and a good base to build on, explaining,

“I think he's got the all-round game. Very good flat backhand, also good forehand. Maybe his movement could improve. I think he probably can and should move a bit better, but he's still young, there's always room for improvement but he's got a very good base I would say."

For Novak Djokovic, 2025 has been a lukewarm year so far. The Serb made his season debut at the Brisbane International, reaching the quarterfinals. Up next, he competed at the Australian Open, where he withdrew from his semifinal match due to injury. Since then the 37-year-old has made first round exits at both Qatar Open and the BNP Paribas Open.