British tennis player, Jack Draper, beat Holger Rune in straight sets (6-2, 6-2) in the final of the 2025 Indian Wells Open on the 16th of March, 2025. It was very comfortably the biggest win of his career and his first in an ATP Masters 1000 event. It won him well over $1m in prize money and gave him a huge boost in the world rankings, the 1,000 points awarded pushing him up to seventh in the world.
Indian Wells is generally considered to be the biggest tournament aside from the four majors and this was a statement win for the 23-year-old Londoner. He made some very bold statements about his own ability following his victory in an ATP 500 event, the Erste Bank Open in Vienna. Draper, who was born in Sutton and whose father has previously worked as the chief executive of both Sport England and the Lawn Tennis Association, had also made the semi finals of the US Open a month earlier.
That good form saw him rise to 15th in the world and he was in bullish mood. Following his title success in Vienna, Draper said that he had “this inner belief now”. He said that he felt that only his injuries had stopped him from playing at a higher level already and meant he missed out on the key developmental experiences that players like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner had enjoyed.
He stated that he knew that if he could get his “body and my mind in a good place, my tennis is good enough to compete with the best players in the world.” He further added “I’ll go again next year with even bigger motivation to really shake up those guys at the top of the game – the likes of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.”
With his success in California, he has been true to his word too, beating Alcaraz in the semis and also seeing off the third seed Taylor Fritz. He has the powerful all-round game to challenge on all surfaces but as with any English player, the dream will be to win Wimbledon. That is especially the case given his father’s previous employment by the LTA and the fact that he is a Londoner.
Is Draper a Wimbledon Winner in Waiting?
Jack Draper, a hero on Centre Court 🤩
The top ranked British player takes out a classic in five sets against Elias Ymer 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 🇬🇧#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/75abTcRMoO
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 2, 2024
The 2024 US Open semi finalist may find, as Andy Murray did, that New York offers his first chance of a Grand Slam. Murray’s first appearance in a major final was in the US Open and it was also where he won a Slam for the first time. But Murray went on to win Wimbledon twice, with home advantage proving a big factor, and Draper is sure to feel incredibly comfortable at SW19.
So, can Draper win Wimbledon? And can he even, just maybe, deliver the goods in 2025? He has only won two games in the Championships proper, making the second round in 2022 and last year and his win percentage is indeed better on the hard courts of Melbourne and New York.
Most experts have little doubt that the talented left-hander has what it takes to become the first English winner of the men’s singles since Fred Perry in 1936. The bookmakers, who as well as being experts, also have skin in the game, currently rank Draper as a 14/1 shot to be the 2025 champion. Some bookies price him far shorter, at just 8/1, with 10/1 a fairly typical price.
That makes the Englishman the fourth favourite, with only Alcaraz, Sinner and Novak Djokovic deemed more likely champions. Draper has proved he is capable of defeating Alcaraz, it remains to be seen how much Sinner will be affected by his ban, and Djokovic increasingly looks like age is getting the better of him. As such, there are sure to be those who feel Draper offers excellent value at 14/1.
A Champion… But Maybe Not This Year
Unless injuries return to blight his progress, it seems likely that Draper will one day lift the title at SW19. He will be backed by a vociferous and fervent home crowd and he clearly has the talent and inner belief needed to be a champion. In addition, whilst hard courts may be his preferred surface, his only appearance in a junior Grand Slam final came at Wimbledon. That was in 2018 and in the end he lost to Tseng Chun Hsin, going down 6-1 6-7(2-7) 6-4 in a tight affair. Incidentally, Emma Raducanu made it to the quarters that year too.
Raducanu shows that it is possible to go all the way in a Slam with only limited experience previously. However, she is one of the exceptions to the rule, with many players seeing a gradual progression in terms of consistently getting to the last eight or beyond before they are able to make the big breakthrough. That could well count against Draper’s chances at Wimbledon 2025. But, as said, he certainly isn’t lacking confidence.
Not that he would admit to it, or probably even think about it, but in some regards 2025 could be seen as a year in which Draper consolidates his progress. If he can cement his place inside the top 10, or possibly even the top five, and make the semis of another Grand Slam, then 2026 could be the year where he really kicks on and fully challenges the likes of Sinner and Alcaraz.
Draper’s Game
Like Rafa Nadal, Draper is right-handed but plays tennis left-handed. This gives him something of an advantage and means his backhand can be played almost like a second forehand, with plenty of use of his dominant hand. Indeed, his backhand is his favourite shot, but he has a fantastic all-round game.
He has a big, booming serve, which always helps at Wimbledon, and powerful groundstrokes off both sides, with a bruising forehand despite that preference for the other flank. His movement are touch are not to be underestimated, but due to his size (he is 6ft 4in tall) they often are.
He also seems to have an excellent temperament and despite that confidence and inner belief, has been open in talking about his anxious tendencies and how he has sought to overcome these, and other, issues. He seems to have fun on and off the caught and we can’t wait to see how the rest of his year – and more importantly the rest of his career – plays out.