Draper Defends Indian Wells Title, Ready for Bautista Agut

0:00On March 6, Jack Draper, Britain's top ranked tennis player, heads to Indian Wells full of confidence as he defends his master's 1,000 title from last year. The 24-year-old world number 14 beat big names like Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Roon on his way to that first major win 12 months. Ago, now after an 8-month layoff from bone bruising in his left arm, he says he's completely over any worries about the injury. Draper made his comeback on the ATP tour just last week in Dubai, where he grabbed a win before a solid 3-set battle. He'd barely played since last year's Wimbledon, skipping events like Rotterdam on Doctors Advice after a Davis Cup match in early February. He's even rocking a fresh buzz cut to mark a mental reset after feeling isolated during recovery. Fans and players alike are buzzing about his return to the California Desert, where last year's champ gets perks like picking the menu for the... Champions lunch, he went with steak and fancy fries. The pressure's on though, with all 1,000 ranking points to defend and a risk of slipping out of the top 30 if he exits early.

1:04As the 14 seed, Draper gets a first round by and faces Spain's Roberto Baltista a good on Saturday. He's put in plenty of core time during his break and feels his game is sharp, with his body holding up well against players who stayed on tour. Draper knows he's early in his build up, but he's eyeing real momentum this week. Convince there's no reason he can't push deep into the draw again.