Jack Draper has gatecrashed the game’s top ten and his success has confirmed what tennis greats Tim Henman and John McEnroe thought about the young Brit after last year’s US Open
Jack Draper’s sensational triumph at Indian Wells has vindicated tennis legends John McEnroe and Tim Henman. The 23-year-old Brit dazzled at the BNP Paribas Open, securing his first ATP Masters 1000 title on Sunday.
His path to glory included a semi-final victory over Carlos Alcaraz and a commanding 6-2, 6-2 win against Denmark’s Holger Rune in the final. Draper’s ascent to glory began with a semi-final appearance at last year’s US Open, but his dominant display in California has now catapulted him to world number seven.
The young Brit’s own ambition is clear as insists he is aiming higher, yet his rise in the rankings confirms McEnroe and Henman’s predictions that he could enter the top ten and challenge the game’s elite players.
Henman had expressed his confidence over Draper on Sky Sports following the youngster’s loss to Jannik Sinner at Flushing Meadows in 2024. “I think he’s that good a player,” Henman said.
“I can definitely see Jack winning a slam in the future. Getting through to the semis of a slam is a massive break-through. It’s going to help his ranking enormously, he will have broken into, minimum top 20.
“It’s great for Jack to make a statement on the biggest stage, the slams are the cornerstones of our sport, and for him to have played so well and beaten some quality players, it’s a really important moment in Jack’s career.”
Meanwhile, McEnroe tipped Draper for the top, predicting that he would crack into the top ten, as per the Express. “That makes me think he could become a regular in the top ten of the rankings from now on,” the four-time US Open champion said.
“He has already gained quite a bit at this US Open and he has nothing to lose at this point. He just needs to push on from here.”
However, after clinching victory at Indian Wells, Draper himself said he is eyeing even greater success. “[I’m] not really thinking about any outcomes, ranking-wise or events-wise,” he said.
“I feel like I have achieved a lot in the last year, and it’s been nothing to do with setting goals. Setting goals and saying you’re going to do something, it’s important to believe it, but if you’re not putting in the work and putting in the sacrifice and the days of consistency together, then you’re not going to achieve anything.
“So obviously I want to be a great player, and I want to achieve amazing things in this sport, but my main goal is keep on improving and keep on knuckling down.
“I know there is a long way ahead of me. I’m very ambitious. I don’t want to just stop here. I want to keep on going.”
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
