British tennis sensation Jack Draper has capped off his breakout season in style, winning the Erste Bank Open in Vienna – the biggest title of his career. The 22-year-old left-hander produced an outstanding performance to defeat Russia’s Karen Khachanov 6-4 7-5 in the ATP 500 event final.
Draper’s victory marks his second tour-level title, following his ATP 250 win in Stuttgart earlier this season. This triumph will propel him to a career-high ranking of 15th in the world on Monday.
“To win this title feels incredible. I’m so proud of myself and my team – the hard work is for moments like this,” Draper said, beaming with pride.
The final was not without its challenges, as Draper watched a 4-0 advantage in the second set disappear. Khachanov recovered to lead 5-4, but Draper showed resilience to break again and secure the win.
Key to Draper’s success has been his improved fitness and robustness, allowing his talent to flourish. His high first-serve percentage proved decisive throughout the tournament, including in the dominant first set against Khachanov.
Seventh seed Draper took the initiative early, breaking Khachanov’s serve in the third game and continually asking questions with his consistent returning.
“I felt I was playing against PlayStation at the beginning – I had no chance,” Khachanov admitted.
Draper’s victory makes him only the fourth British player since 2009, after Andy Murray, Cameron Norrie, and Dan Evans, to win an ATP 500 title.