Young Brit, Jack Draper, Climbs to Top 20 Tennis World Rankings

Jack Draper
Jack Draper (Credit si.robi via Wikipedia)

Earlier in September, Jack Draper entered the top 20 of the tennis world rankings for the first time. His run to the semi-final of the 2024 US Open helped him move to his highest ranking ever, but many people, including the player himself, believe he will go much higher than his current ranking of 20.

The Brit was seeded 25th for the New York Grand Slam and eased through the opening stages of the tournament. He had a relatively easy draw, on paper at least, progressing through to the quarters before he had to face a fellow seed. However, his performance in the last eight against Australian Alex de Minaur, seeded 10th and, at the time, ranked 10th, was magnificent, even if his opponent did have some fitness issues.

Sick at the Semis


He won that match 6-3, 7-5, 6-2 to set up a semi against the world number one, Italian Jannik Sinner. Heading into that contest Draper had been imperious, not dropping a set on the way to his first Grand Slam semi-final appearance. He seemed full of belief and was very clear that he felt he had the game to compete with any of the top players.

Sinner would win the last-four clash with ease, in straight sets. However, whilst the final set was 6-2 to the Italian, after Draper had been physically sick on court, largely due to nerves, the match as a whole was a tough test for Sinner. He won the first two sets 7-5, 7-6 (7-3), and Draper pushed him all the way. It was during the second set that Draper vomited, necessitating a clean-up operation on the court at one point, but he still managed to hang on and take his opponent to a tiebreaker.

Sinner was just too good in the end, with greater experience of this sort of occasion, but Draper had so much to be proud of and was clear that this was merely a step on a journey. Although Sinner won the final in straight sets, the Brit is clearly not too far away from the levels required to regularly contend deep into Slams. Moreover, the fact that he was ranked 123rd in the world 12 months earlier shows he is very much moving in the right direction.

Who Is Jack Draper?


Draper was born in London on the 22nd of December, 2001, so was just 22 when he made his debut Slam semi. He stands 6ft 4in tall, which is a great size but in the modern era, he is not exceptionally tall. He is left-handed and turned pro in 2018, having made the final of Junior Wimbledon that year (losing to Taiwanese player, Tseng Chun-hsin).

It seems he was always destined to play tennis, with his mother being a fine player and former British champion at junior level and his father having been the head of the LTA (Lawn Tennis Association). He was raised in Surrey and attended private school, receiving excellent coaching along the way and when he made it to the final of Junior Wimbledon hopes were high that British tennis had a player who could take on the mantle from Andy Murray.

Injuries Hamper Progress

Next Gen ATP FinalsDraper is clearly still very young, with Murray, for example, being 21 when he first made it to the semi of a Slam (the 2008 US Open where he went on to make the final, losing to Roger Federer). The young Brit’s peak years should be some time away yet, but compared to other top players his career has stalled somewhat.

In the aftermath of defeat to Sinner he mentioned the fact that many of the other top young players had far more big game experience than he did. He felt that he was very close to their level, and could certainly get there, but was just lacking a little in developmental terms and experience.

Draper has unfortunately missed a lot of tennis at a time when players who have the ability to go right to the top tend to make a lot of progress. He showed his potential in 2021, as a callow 19-year-old, when he beat Sinner, who was the third seed, at Queens, however that proved to be something of a flash in the pan.

In 2022, he once again seemed to be on the right track, having moved into the top 50 in the world and become the first UK player to qualify for the Next Generation ATP Finals. At the season-ending event for players 21 and under, he beat the top seed on the way to the semis and his progress continued at the start of 2023.

However, a range of injuries, including cramping problems, an abdominal problem and then a shoulder issue struck, and midway through the year he announced he would be missing the entire grass-court season. During his fledging career, recurrent back and hamstring problems have also been an issue, causing him to withdraw from matches and stalling any momentum he was seeking to build.

The Future

US Open tennis logoThe slower hard courts of the US Open appear to suit Draper’s game very well, with his record showing that he made the third round on debut, then the fourth, and most recently the semis. His best showing at the Australian Open and Wimbledon is a second-round defeat, whilst he is yet to win a game at the French, falling twice in the first round.

However, the rest of 2024 and then into 2025 should be a real breakthrough period for the Brit. His injuries appear to be behind him and he has the tools to compete with the top players. His serve is an asset, whilst he is a good mover for a big man, and boasts real power from the back of the court, off both flanks.

The key thing for him will be learning to manage his nerves and staying fit. If he does that then there is every chance he can win a Grand Slam. His big serve means that Wimbledon will be a target but it may be that, like Murray, the US Open is where he enjoys his first Grand Slam win.