How Draper became a genuine Wimbledon contender

Wimbledon 2025

Location: All England Club, 3 to 16 July

It is simple to forget that Jack Draper is still a novice at Wimbledon.

British No. 1 Draper has only won two of his five matches and never moved beyond the second round in a major-drawn tournament. He has only made three major-drawn appearances.

The left-handed Englishman will, after a stunning rise, become the fourth seed when the grass-court Grand Slam begins on Monday.

In a year, Draper has advanced to the semi-finals of the US Open, the prestigious Indian Wells title, and two more ATP Tour finals.

Former British number one Greg Rusedski told BBC Sport, “I’d say he’s fourth favorite to win the Wimbledon title, behind Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, and Novak Djokovic.”

Draper has a clear sense of his potential from a young age, and he is now realizing it after his early struggles with his fitness.

Due to a shoulder issue, Draper had to withdraw from Wimbledon two years ago because of his complaints about being the “guy who is always injured.”

That resulted in a concerted effort to develop his endurance and strength.

Before Draper reshaped his team with Matt Little and Shane Annun, both of whom had long-held Andy Murray associates, Draper began by playing the fitness trainer Steve Kotze and physio Will Herbert in those same roles.

At the Australian Open in January, he won three brutal five sets, which demonstrated how different he had become from his competition. His physical outstability has continued for the past six months as he battles to outlast his opponents.

After making it to last week’s semi-finals, Draper joked that his body used to be prone to breakage. He had previously “looked like a bit of a Ferrari, but I was a bit of a Toyota.”

Draper can have more confidence in using his key weapons, which are well-suited to the grass, without worrying about his body breaking down.

Draper is being taught how to play aggressively in the right situations by LTA coach James Trotman, a fellow Briton who has gone through the coaching process.

That includes playing his groundstrokes from the baseline and dropping his spring forwards to the net at higher risk.

Leon Smith, the Davis Cup captain of the United Kingdom, said, “He’s much more aware of what his strengths are. That’s the biggest change this year.”

If you have a chance to get the first strike in, you don’t want to be adding points.

He is “not afraid to step in and be brave,” he says, even in the most dramatic situations.

According to the ATP statistics, Draper has excelled this season by being able to take risks when under pressure.

Draper can start strong with his powerful and varied serve.

It is effective when he makes his first serve. His first-serve percentage is only the 43rd best on the ATP Tour this year, but he is 14th in terms of behind-serve points.

His Queen’s semi-final exit was caused by a slight dip in his serve, a sign that a dip like that could result in high-quality matches with respectable margins.

Annabel Croft, the former British women’s number one, said, “He has every kind of serve you can imagine.”

On a grass court, it gives him a huge advantage because he can get quicker, freer points.

Draper has been working to increase its firepower on the grass by adding more of it.

The queen’s raping winners, who both entered from the baseline and took long shots, were encouraging signs.

You have to stay low and stay down when that ball is coming in quickly, especially on grass courts, Draper said.

Draper will be the subject of even more scrutiny at Wimbledon now that he is the British number one.

Since Andy Murray, the 2017 defending champion and world number one, Andy Murray, no home player has been given a seed as high at the All England Club.

Although Draper has had nerve issues in the past, he is a confident young man who thrives on the big stage and isn’t afraid to rile up the audience.

It will be interesting to see how Draper handles the increased attention of a wider British audience.

Rusedski, who reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals in 1997, said that it’s simple to deal with expectation when playing well.

Pressure becomes difficult when you’re not playing well, according to the saying. You make too many attempts, which never succeed.