Britain’s new tennis hope trained by grandmother too ill to watch him on Centre Court
Draper is carrying the burden of Britain's hopes this year in the men's singles after Andy Murray bowed out with a back injury - Zac Goodwin
He’s the rising British tennis star who owes it all to his grandmother.
But Jack Draper’s rise to become Brit number one is bittersweet, as the grandmother who inspired him to first pick up a racket is now unaware of his success and cannot recognise him on television.
Brenda Entract, a former tennis coach and player, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2015 aged 70, six years before Draper’s professional debut.
Chris Entract, Draper’s 80-year-old grandfather and Brenda’s carer, watched on as his grandson faced down Sweden’s Elias Ymer at Centre Court on Tuesday.
Draper was moved at the eleventh hour to take Andy Murray’s spot at centre court after the three-time Grand Slam winner bowed out of the single’s tournament over a back injury.
In the months leading up to this year’s tournament, Draper, 22, had opened up on the impact of his grandmother’s condition.
Draper's grandmother Brenda was a former tennis coach and player
He said: “As a former tennis player and coach who worked with many top national players, it was devastating for me and my family to see my grandmother’s condition deteriorate.
“Nana was one of my biggest supporters growing up and I have always been very close to her, but this is a disease which completely takes away the person you knew.
“My Pa, who is Nana’s main carer, still brings her to the National Tennis Centre in Roehampton to watch me train, but she doesn’t know who I am.
“And if my tennis matches are on TV, he will tell Nana it’s me but it doesn’t register with her anymore.”
Draper is carrying the burden of Britain’s hopes this year in the men’s singles after Andy Murray bowed out with a back injury following days of speculation about whether he would continue or not.
Meanwhile, Katie Boulter, the British no1 in Women’s singles, trounced Germany’s Tatjana Maria, all the while watched on by her grandfather, Brian Gartshore and mother, Sue.
Last year she dedicated her victory over the Czech Republic’s Karolína Plíšková, a former world No1, to her grandmother, Jill Gartshore, a regional tennis champion who had died only two days before the match.
Many in the Centre Court crowd, which included Mary Berry, had wept as she spoke of her heartbreak.
She said: “[Jill’s] favourite tournament was Wimbledon. “That’s why it’s a special one for me. She’d watch every single match that was on the TV.”
“She’s always someone who’s been right into tennis from stage one. She lives just down the road from the tennis club.
“That’s the tennis club that I started playing tennis at – Leicestershire is very close to my heart.
Jubb had also credited his success to his grandmother Valerie (center) - Victoria Jones
“I’ve spent a lot of time on the courts there with my grandparents and my family. It’s a lot of memories, ones I cherish.”
Boulter will now face fellow British player Harriet Dart in the 3rd round.
Speaking after yesterday’s victory she predicted the upcoming contest would be “an absolute battle”.
“We’ve played quite a few times before so I’ll be looking at those and thinking about what I’m going to do going into it.
“But honestly, for me, it’s about playing the tennis ball, it’s not about playing the person.”
Paul Jubb, 24, a wildcard at this year’s tournament, crashed out in the opening round after losing to Brazil’s Thiago Seyboth Wild.
Jubb had also credited his success to his grandmother Valerie who took him to hundreds of matches and coaching sessions since his potential was spotted by a local tennis coach in his primary school at five.
In December 2023, Jubb announced his grandmother had passed away, writing in an emotional post on Instagram: “For those who don’t know, I suffered a serious injury at the start of this year.
“Then unfortunately not long after, my grandma, the most important women in my life who raised me since I was 4 passed away.”
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