Jack Draper‘s 2025 season has been remarkable, to say the least. Apart from clinching his maiden ATP 1000 title in Indian Wells, he’s been consistent when it comes to making deep runs in prominent tournaments. Not to mention his rise in the rankings. The 23-year-old succeeded in breaking into the top 10 for the first time in his career and currently sits at 4th place. It’s the best spot he’s earned so far in his entire professional journey. But the Brit’s still got a long way to go. He’s yet to taste Slam glory. The best chance happens to be now as he gears up for the ‘home’ slam, Wimbledon. But while Draper’s expected to shine, an uncertainty still looms on his prospects at the grass major, according to a former icon.
By now, Draper’s made it evident that he’s one to express his emotions on the court, no matter what. When all’s going good in matches, he seems fine. But the moment the result ends up being not in his favor, Draper doesn’t shy away from showing his frustration. Remember how he smashed his racket onto the courtside advertisement screens during the semifinal clash against Jiri Lehecka at the Queen’s Club last week? He eventually lost that match despite his fine form throughout the event. “It was a bit of everything, really,” the Brit said. “The way I was sort of playing at times. Obviously, the fact that I’ve worked so hard to get myself in that position. I really tried to get myself up, get the energy going.” While it’s fine to show emotions, it may not work in his favor due to the increasing spotlight going into the Wimbledon.
After all, Draper’s one of the most prominent British names competing at the All England Club. Naturally, a lot of eyes will be on him, his every move. Expectations will be at an all-time high, with social media buzzing with his name constantly. In such scenarios, it may become difficult for any player to keep the focus on just tennis. His tendency to go slightly overboard during tense on-court moments, when he’s trailing against his rivals, will only add to his misery. That’s what ex-ATP icon Mats Wilander has suggested. Instead of his rivals, it seems Draper needs to be wary of the media attention. It might be his “biggest enemy” going forward. During an interview with TNT Sports, dated June 27, the former Swedish pro said, “I think that for Jack Draper, the social media and newspapers are going to be the biggest enemy, I think, because there’s going to be a lot of stories, good ones, most probably mostly,”
Source: Instagram/Jack Draper
Due to the enormous hype, thanks to his recent surge across tours, “people are going to start trying to dig things up about Jack Draper, Jack Draper this, and Jack Draper that. So I think that’s what you have to stay away from.” Per Wilander, “You can have all the other stuff going on on the outside. But if you start reading papers and social media, and there might be articles here and there, I think that’s really bad.” Concluding his comments, he added, “I think for anyone, it puts you in a bad mood.”
However, all’s not looking tough for Draper. There’s a bright side, too, going into the All England Club next month. If he succeeds in besting the top contenders, the Brit may even reach the finals—and the trophy—at the grass major. Really?
Jack Draper backed up to enter Wimbledon summit clash
Jack Draper made his Wimbledon debut back in 2021. His first impression wasn’t really solid as he faced an early first-round exit. But his subsequent appearances haven’t really made an impact as well. During the 2022 and 2024 campaigns, he was ousted in R64. Seems like he’s yet to prove his mettle on the grass surface in this coveted tournament.
However, the young star is still expected to perform brilliantly. During the same interview with TNT Sports, Wilander backed Draper saying, “I don’t think that I’m necessarily expecting him to reach the semi-finals. I think he has a chance.” But how far can he go? Well, according to the ex-pro, “I think he has a chance to get to the finals.”
At the same time, he did bring up the names of title favorites like Djokovic, Sinner, and Carlos Alcaraz. The latter is also the defending champion (2023 and 2024).
Wilander added, “I don’t know if he can win the title with Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic in the draw. I mean, you could play all three of those guys, which is pretty unbelievable. But anyway, Jack Draper has a chance to do something good, but I wouldn’t be surprised.” Concluding his remarks, he said, “Either way, I think he’s going to play a great tournament and play great individual matches.”
Draper will kick off his Wimbledon journey with a first-round battle against Argentina’s Sebastian Baez. What works in favor of the Brit already is the H2H record. Currently, he leads Baez 2-0. But they have never met on grass. So it will be interesting to see how things turn out.
Since Andy Murray in 2016, no British man has captured the Gentlemen’s trophy in almost a decade. Will Draper replicate his milestone in 2025? What are your thoughts on his prospects at the All England Club? Let us know in the comments below.
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