British No.1 Jack Draper is a genuine contender at Wimbledon after making key change
Jack Draper can be a serious contender at Wimbledon this year because he now has the physicality to match his technical ability.
That is the opinion of Laura Robson, who is backing the 22-year-old left-hander to excel in SW19 after climbing the rankings. Draper has overtaken Cam Norrie to become British No.1 and is seeded 28th at Wimbledon following a strong run of form.
He won his first ATP title on June 16 by beating Matteo Berrettini in the Stuttgart final and he rubber-stamped his credentials with a stunning win over Carlos Alcaraz at Queen’s Club on June 20. Draper has long been touted for the top after taking a set off Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon in 2020 and, having overcome his injury struggles of 2023, Robson is excited about what he can do over the next few weeks.
“I feel like I’ve been talking about Jack for years and years from when he was 15,” Robson told Mirror Sport while speaking on behalf of the Vodafone Play Your Way to Wimbledon campaign. “When I first saw him play I was like ‘this kid is going to be so good’. He’s got so many weapons to his game, he works so hard on the physicality of things, because he used to get so many injuries and struggled to play consistently across the ATP Tour.
“Now he’s doing that, the results are going to come because he’s a great player. He’s been someone that everyone thinks will be in the top 10 in no time because you still look at him and think there’s a world of improvement in the next few years as he gets stronger.
“He won his first [ATP] title last week [at Stuttgart]. He’d played in a couple of finals before, so he was always knocking on the door. Grass is an amazing surface for him because he’s got the massive lefty serve and the lefty forehand.
“I am so excited for Jack but I think it’s always going to be tougher going into a best-of-five situation for him because in the past that’s where he’s lost a bit of confidence in himself, when his body has started to feel a bit sore.”
Jack Draper of Great Britain
Draper faces Swedish qualifier Elias Ymer in the first round, but taking the mantle of Britain’s biggest hope at Wimbledon is not easy, given the expectation and scrutiny that comes with the tag. But world No.1 and Wimbledon’s defending champion Alcaraz said his “mentality is a bit better” after being beaten at Queen’s and Robson thinks he has the attitude to cope.
“He was a great junior, he’s had years of getting to this level, it’s not been a quick journey for him at all. He’s played a lot of Challengers in his life, won a lot of smaller tournaments and then it’s been slow and steady progress in the rankings.
“He’s going to be seeded at Wimbledon and it really feels like he’s earned that spot because he’s been showing up and delivering results week-in, week-out. I think he’ll be fine with the pressure. He’s so happy with the No.1 British spot and he knows he’s got to work hard to keep it with the others chasing him. I think it’s a nice problem to have.”
Vodafone, Official Connectivity Partner of Wimbledon, is working with Laura Robson to inspire the next generation of tennis players through Play Your Way To Wimbledon.