What happened when Andy Murray played Jack Draper in their only career meeting at Indian Wells two years ago

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Andy Murray paved the way for the next generation of British tennis stars, as he ended the nation’s 36 year wait for a Major champion.

The 37-year-old won Wimbledon for the first time in 2013, bringing glory to the country of Great Britain, as they finally saw one of their own lift the trophy on Centre Court.

He won a second title at SW19 in 2016, the year he became world number one for the first time, cementing his legacy as one of the ATP Tour’s greatest players.

When Murray retired from tennis in 2024, he did so as a three-time Major champion, and a true legend of the sport.

Of the nation’s current crop of talent, Jack Draper looks most likely to achieve Grand Slam success, having reached a new career-high of 12th in the world recently.

Draper qualified for the last four of the 2024 US Open, falling to defeat against eventual champion Jannik Sinner in three sets, 5-7, 6-7, 2-6.

Draper and Murray’s careers didn’t overlap for long, facing off just once on the ATP Tour, at the Indian Wells Masters 1000 event in 2023.

Jack Draper said he will ‘never forget’ the moment he beat Andy Murray at Indian Wells

The British pair advanced through their opening round matches in Indian Wells two years ago to set up a mouth-watering clash in California.

• 1R – Jack Draper beat Leandro Reidi, 6-1, 6-1
• 1R – Andy Murray beat Tomas Martin Etcheverry, 6-7, 1-6, 6-4
• 2R – Jack Draper beat Dan Evans, 6-4, 6-2
• 2R – Andy Murray beat Radu Albot, 6-4, 6-3

Their first career meeting was a highly anticipated one, as fans questioned whether the youngster could overcome the former world number one.

Those questions were quickly answered as they battled it out in a thrilling first set, trading blows on their way to a tiebreak.

Murray saved set point with an incredible point at 5-6, but an ace from his countryman sealed the set, as Draper edged closer to a place in the fourth round.

Fatigue set in for Murray in the second, as the man 14 years his junior powered through to win, 7-6, 6-2, after two hours of entertaining action.

The Brits embraced with a hug at the net, in a true passing of the torch moment at Indian Wells.

Speaking after the match, Draper was full of praise for Murray, a man he described as an ‘inspiration.’

“If I was going to say one sporting person who has inspired me the most it would be Andy [Murray],” he said.

“To come off court with the win against Andy, I’ll never forget that moment.”

He then explained how beating another Brit, Dan Evans in his previous match gave him the belief to score another big win.

“Dan’s a fierce competitor, someone who I’ve looked up to,” said Draper.

“That gave me confidence to go out there tonight and think even though it’s a really tough mental challenge again, I can do this.”

Murray was understandably disappointed after the match, as he looked back on several missed opportunities in the first set.

“In the tie-break, I had a few opportunities but he came up with a really good return on the six-all point and then the second set was tough for me, physically,” he said.

“Just a bit of fatigue to be honest, recently I’ve played quite a lot of long matches and the first set was very tough physically for both of us, and here it’s not that easy to finish points.”

Is Jack Draper Great Britain’s best hope for Grand Slam success?

Only one other British player has won a Grand Slam title since Virginia Wade’s most recent success at Wimbledon in 1977.

Emma Raducanu won the 2021 US Open as a qualifier, writing her place in British tennis history.

She has struggled to rediscover that form since, however, and is now ranked lower than two other British stars.

Katie Boulter has improved drastically over the past 12 months, establishing herself within the WTA top 30.

She has yet to prove herself at the Grand Slam level, however, something the 28-year-old would no doubt love to do later this year.

Only time will tell if Draper, Boulter, Raducanu, or another British star can achieve Grand Slam success, but they’ll certainly give it their all when they head to Paris for the French Open on May 25.