Jack Alexander Draper (born 22 December 2001) is a British professional tennis player. He has been ranked as high as world No. 15 in singles by the ATP, achieved on 28 October 2024, and a doubles ranking of No. 247 attained on 14 October 2024. Draper has won two titles on the ATP Tour. His best performance at the majors is reaching the semifinals of the 2024 US Open.
He has also won five titles on the ATP Challenger Tour and seven on the ITF Tour. As a junior, Draper was the runner-up in his first and only major final at the 2018 Wimbledon Championships, ending the year at his peak junior ranking of world No. 7.
Plagued by injuries for most of his career, Draper made his ATP Tour main draw debut in singles as a wildcard at the Miami Open. He had to retire in his first-round match against Mikhail Kukushkin, after he collapsed on the court from heat-related illness.[7]
At the Queen's Club Championships in June, Draper secured the biggest win of his career to date with a victory over world No. 23 Jannik Sinner as a wildcard.[8] He defeated world No. 39 Alexander Bublik in the round of 16 to reach the quarterfinals of an ATP tournament for the first time in his career, where he lost to eventual finalist Cameron Norrie.[9] By reaching this stage of the tournament, he became the youngest British ATP quarterfinalist since Andy Murray in 2006 and earned a top 250 debut in the ATP rankings.[10]
Draper received a wildcard into the singles main draw at the Wimbledon Championships.[11] He drew defending champion Novak Djokovic in the first round, where he claimed the first set 6–4 before losing the next three sets to cede the match.[12]
2022: Four Challengers, Masters quarterfinal and top 10 win, top 50
In January, Draper entered the 2022 Città di Forlì II, an ATP Challenger Tour event, in Forlì, where he was the eighth seed. There, he reached his first Challenger final and won his first title on the tour after defeating compatriot Jay Clarke, 6–3, 6–0.[13] Two weeks later, Draper continued his run of form at the Città di Forlì IV, where he was unseeded and reached his second final to claim his second Challenger title after defeating Tim van Rijthoven, 6–1, 6–2. The win led Draper to debut in the top 200 and reach a new career high of world No. 162.[14] Draper secured his third consecutive Challenger title in his third Forlì tournament at Città di Forlì V the following week after saving four match points in the final to defeat Alexander Ritschard in three sets.[15]
At the Miami Open, Draper clinched his first Masters 1000 match win over Gilles Simon as a wildcard.[16] He lost in the second round to Norrie.[17] Draper went on the next week to win his fourth Challenger title at Saint-Brieuc, defeating Zizou Bergs in the final.[18] At the 2022 Mutua Madrid Open, on his debut, he defeated World No. 27 Lorenzo Sonego as a wildcard for his second win at the Masters level.[19] Draper made his top 100 debut at world no. 99 on 13 June 2022.[20]
At Eastbourne, as a wildcard, Draper beat Jenson Brooksby, fourth seed Diego Schwartzman and fellow wildcard Ryan Peniston to reach the first ATP semifinal of his career.[21] He lost in three sets to Maxime Cressy in the semifinals.[22] He earned a direct entry at a major tournament for the first time at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships and won his first Grand Slam match defeating wildcard Zizou Bergs.[23][24]
Draper qualified for the Canadian Open in Montreal, where, after beating Hugo Gaston in the first round, upset third seed and world No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets in the second round for his first top-10 win.[25] It was his first third-round showing in his career at a Masters 1000 level.[26] After Gaël Monfils, his third-round opponent, retired due to injury, Draper advanced to his first Masters 1000 quarterfinal.[27] He lost to Pablo Carreño Busta in straight sets, who was the eventual champion.[28]
At the 2022 Winston-Salem Open he defeated Fabio Fognini in the second round.[29] Next he defeated former No. 3 and wildcard Dominic Thiem to reach the quarterfinals,[30] where he lost to qualifier Marc-Andrea Hüsler in straight sets.[31] At the US Open he reached the third round of a Major for the first time in his career defeating sixth seed and world no. 8 Félix Auger-Aliassime in straight sets.[32][33] In the fourth round he retired against Karen Khachanov at one set all.
On 19 October, he qualified for the 2022 Next Generation ATP Finals, the first Briton to do so.[34] On 24 October he reached his career-high singles ranking of World No. 45 having reached the top 50 two weeks earlier.[35] At the NextGen Finals he reached the semifinals defeating top seed Lorenzo Musetti in the group stage.[36] He lost in the last four to Brandon Nakashima.[37]
2023: Two Major debuts, return to ATP tour after injuries, first ATP final
Draper started his 2023 season at the Adelaide International 1. He lost in the second round to eighth seed and world No. 20, Karen Khachanov.[38] At the Adelaide International 2, he beat eighth seed Tommy Paul in the second round.[39] He then got revenge on third seed and world No. 20, Karen Khachanov, defeating him in the quarterfinals to reach his second ATP semifinal.[40] Despite beating him last week, he lost his semifinal match to the eventual champion, Kwon Soon-woo, in a tight three-setter.[41]
Making his debut at the Australian Open, he fell in the first round to top seed, world No. 2, 2009 champion, and defending champion, Rafael Nadal, in four sets while struggling with cramps.[42] He reached a career-high singles ranking of No. 38 on 16 January 2023.
Draper returned to action in March by playing at the BNP Paribas Open. In his debut at this tournament, he defeated 24th seed, world No. 29, and compatriot, Dan Evans in the second round.[43] In the third round, he beat 2009 finalist, former world No. 1 and compatriot, Andy Murray, in straight sets.[44] He was forced to retire from his fourth round match against top seed, world No. 2, and eventual champion, Carlos Alcaraz, due to an abdominal muscle injury.[45] Draper withdrew from the Miami Open due to the fact that he did not want to make his abdominal injury any worse.[46]
He made his debut at the 2023 French Open but was forced to retire from his first round match against Tomás Martín Etcheverry due to a shoulder injury. As a result he announced on 8 June that he would miss the entire grass season.[47]
Draper made his return to the ATP Tour during the US Open where he defeated Radu Albot, 17th seed Hubert Hurkacz and Michael Mmoh to advance to the second week.[48][49] He was eventually defeated by Andrey Rublev in the fourth round.[50]
He reached the Challenger final of the 2023 Open d'Orléans and returned to the top 100 on 2 October 2023.[51] In November, he won his fifth Challenger title, the 2023 Trofeo Faip–Perrel. Ranked No. 82 at the next tournament, the 2023 Sofia Open, he reached his second semifinal of the season defeating top seed Lorenzo Musetti[52] and qualifier Cem Ilkel.[53][54] He reached his first career final defeating Jan-Lennard Struff. He became the youngest Briton to reach an ATP Tour final since Andy Murray in 2009 Miami.[55][56] Draper lost the final in three sets to Adrian Mannarino.[57][58]
2024: Major semifinal, Two ATP titles, Olympics and top 15 debuts
Jack Draper is a natural right-hander but plays with his left which means the backhand is played like a second forehand.[117]
In 2023, he had an estimated wealth of $3 million, and has signed sponsorship deals with the likes of Dunlop, Nike and Vodafone.[118][119]
Draper supports Manchester United F.C. and enjoys listening to rap and grime music.[120]
Performance timeline
Key
W
F
SF
QF
#R
RR
Q#
DNQ
A
NH
(W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (NH) not held; (SR) strike rate (events won / competed); (W–L) win–loss record.
To avoid confusion and double counting, these charts are updated at the conclusion of a tournament or when the player's participation has ended.