Jack Draper shared his thoughts on his next opponent at Indian Wells Ben Shelton.
The British number has reached the last eight at the Masters 1000 tournament for the first time after beating America’s top-ranked player, Taylor Fritz.
In order to reach the last four, he will have to go through Ben Shelton, another home favourite who has played some solid tennis this week.
Draper has yet to face Shelton on the ATP Tour but ahead of their first meeting, he will know what to expect from his opponent.
Jack Draper on facing Ben Shelton next at Indian Wells:
“I’m very excited for that matchup. I haven’t played Ben. He’s an amazing young talent like myself. He brings such an energy to the court, to the changing room. He’s one of the nicest guys around. I really am gonna enjoy… pic.twitter.com/sVQLsRE6vw
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) March 13, 2025
Jack Draper continues his solid run at the Indian Wells Masters by securing one of his biggest wins of the season.
The 23-year-old has now won his last two matches against Fritz and this is the second time he has defeated the World number four in straight sets.
Draper will now face Shelton, America’s third highest ranked player, who possesses a thunderous serve and powerful topspin shots.
Looking ahead to the matchup, Draper told Tennis Channel what he thinks of Shelton and recalled the practice session they had earlier in the tournament.
“I think we are on Court Two. At least I won’t be eating the fence like out on the practice courts,” the World number 14 said.
“I practiced with him on one of the first days and he was kicking that ball up high over the fence, I think it was. Hopefully the court will be a bit wider so I don’t have to worry about that as much!
“Ben is someone who is coming up to the top 10. He is an amazing player. Great to watch. A really fun guy to have on tour, the crowds love him and he’s a really, really good guy as well so it will be a tough, tough match and I’m looking forward to it.”
Photo by George Walker/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Shelton made history by becoming the youngest American man to reach the last eight at Indian Wells since Andy Roddick in 2004.
He defeated compatriot Brandon Nakashima 7-6(6), 6-1 to advance and he struck 26 winners during the one hour and 34-minute contest.
Shelton will aim to go to his first Masters 1000 semi-final but standing in his way is an in-form Draper, who has lost just one completed match so far this season.
Speaking on how he beat Nakashima, Shelton said: “I made a small adjustment in my serve return. I think I did a great job mixing up my position so he couldn’t exactly tell where the ball was coming or how it was coming.
“To me, he has an incredible sliced serve. He can open up the angles really well, and I believe today I did a great job closing those angles.
“It’s not always black and white to return well and be able to come out with a set like that, but for me, just playing with energy and staying focused all the time, something that has sometimes been a challenge for me in the past, being focused all the time, was very good on my part.”
ATPBen SheltonIndian WellsJack Draper
