Two weeks of top tennis action begin at Wimbledon next week (July 1), with Jack Draper among the British hopefuls in action.
Draper, 22, is seeded at the All England Club grand slam for the first time after reaching the world’s top 30 after a fine 2024.
Being seeded means Draper would not meet another seed until the third round, boosting his hopes of triumphing at SW19.
So who is the man bidding to emulate two-champion Andy Murray by achieving glory on Sunday, July 14?
Here’s all you need to know.
Who is Jack Draper?
Draper was born on December 22, 2001, in Sutton, London, England.
His father, Roger, was the former CEO of the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), which oversees tennis in the UK.
His mother, Nicky, was a junior British tennis champion.
Draper started playing tennis as a two-and-a-half-year-old toddler at the Sutton Tennis and Squash Club by hitting a ball against a wall. His mother, a coach at the club, took him to his first training session aged six.
Draper’s brother Ben, 25, played college tennis at the University of California-Berkeley and is studying for a master’s degree at Wake Forest University in the US.
Draper had a successful junior career, reaching a career-high International Tennis Federation (ITF) ranking of No. 7.
He reached the final of the boys’ singles at Wimbledon in 2018, losing a close match to Tseng Chun-hsin of Taiwan.
Draper turned professional after this and has steadily climbed the ATP rankings.
Draper has won five titles on the ATP Challenger Tour and seven on the ITF Tour.
He is known for his powerful left-handed serve and aggressive baseline game.
He possesses a strong forehand and a solid all-around game, which has drawn comparisons to other left-handed players such as Rafael Nadal.
Draper gained significant attention after making his Grand Slam main draw debut at Wimbledon in 2021. He took a set off the eventual champion Novak Djokovic in the first round, earning praise for his performance.
He ended 2022 in the top 50 after rising a stunning 223 places. His best grand slam performance to date came at the 2023 US Open, where he reached the fourth round.
Draper won his first ATP title at the 2024 Stuttgart Open, defeating Matteo Berrettini in the final. This win made him the new British No. 1.
But arguably the most impressive victory came at Queen’s Club on June 20 when he beat the defending champion and 2023 Wimbledon winner Carlos Alcaraz 7-6, 6-3 in the second round. However, the eventual champion, Tommy Paul, beat him 6-3 5-7 6-4 in the quarter-finals.
Draper idolised Andy Murray growing up and hopes to learn from Murray when the Scot retires.
“When he has stopped, I will be contacting him a lot more, asking him for opinions on certain things, asking him what he has tried and if it has worked for him,” Sky Sports quoted him as saying.
“I am definitely going to lean on Andy a lot and I am sure he will want to help me because he has always been very supportive of me.”
The 6ft4in Draper has courted attention away from tennis for his good looks.
He appeared in Vogue in June 2024, telling the renowned fashion and lifestyle magazine: “I quite enjoy being in front of the camera. If I’m looking good, that is.”
Draper supports Manchester United and his favourite athlete is the mixed martial arts (MMA) star Conor McGregor.
Injuries and illness have blighted his progress
Draper will need to keep a close eye on his physical condition this year after a series of injuries and mid-match retirements plagued him in 2023.
For example, a shoulder problem ended his 2023 French Open campaign, leading to Draper describing himself as “the guy who’s injured a lot”.
This ruled Draper out of the entire British grasscourt season in 2023.
“My body was just made of glass at that point,” Draper told the BBC. “I think it was kind of a blessing in disguise because ever since I came back from those injuries I have been really putting in great work.”
