"Incredible stance" - Andy Murray pokes fun at compatriot Jack Draper’s posing skills ahead of their Indian Wells 2024 campaigns

Jack Draper received a cheeky comment from his compatriot Andy Murray who poked fun at his posing skills ahead of his 2024 Indian Wells campaign.

Draper has had a solid start to the 2024 season, reaching the second ATP tour final of the Adelaide International, where he lost to seventh seed Jiri Lehecka in three sets. The 22-year-old also made the second round of the Australian Open, losing to American Tommy Paul in four sets.

The Brit then played two tournaments in Mexico, where he faced an early exit in Los Cabos against Thanasi Kokkinakis in a three-set thriller. However, he reached the semifinals in Acapulco, where he was forced to retire against eventual champion Alex de Minaur. He climbed to a career-high ranking of No. 37 this month and has an 8-4 win-loss record in 2024.

Draper, who will be making his second appearance at Indian Wells, posted a series of photos on his Instagram account on Tuesday, March 5, showing his preparation and practice sessions at the desert venue.

"More than grateful," Draper wrote.

Murray left a playful remark in one of the photos where Draper can be seen standing with a serious expression on his face against a backdrop of mountains.

"Incredible stance," Murray wrote.

Murray and Draper have a close relationship, having practiced and played together on several occasions. They also shared a hilarious car ride after the Davis Cup in 2023, where Draper was singing while drunk, while Murray was more reserved.

Jack Draper will face Christopher O'Connell, while Andy Murray is set to face a qualifier in the first round at Indian Wells.

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"Andy Murray’s a great player and someone that I always looked up to" - Jack Draper on his win over compatriot at 2023 Indian Wells

Jack Draper revisited the experience of beating his idol and the former World No. 1 Andy Murray in the third round of the 2023 Indian Wells Masters.

During an April 2023 interview with Tennis Majors, Draper confessed that the significance of his victory didn't fully register until he returned home when he felt an overwhelming sense of pride. He further stated that defeating the three-time Grand Slam champion gave him a lot of confidence boost.

“I think it didn’t really hit me until I got home from that trip that, you know, I’d beaten the likes of [Dan Evans], and Andy Murray. Andy’s my childhood idol, you know, I watched him from when I was young. This sport is kind of crazy because you’re playing week in, week out, and you don’t often get to reflect," Draper said.

"But I was obviously very proud of myself. Andy’s a great player and someone that I always looked up to you so to beat him again is a real confidence boost," he added.