French Open 2025: What Jack Draper must do to bridge gap to Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz
Context:
Jack Draper is striving to bridge the gap between himself and top tennis players Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, as he continues to make significant progress on the ATP Tour. Despite reaching the fourth round in recent Grand Slams, Draper acknowledges his need for further experience and consistency to compete at their level. His improved fitness has propelled him up the world rankings, and he aims to leverage his powerful serve during the upcoming grass-court season, particularly at Wimbledon. Draper has faced challenges like anxiety and high-pressure situations but has sought guidance to manage these issues effectively. With his focus on practice and preparation, he hopes to capitalize on his growing momentum and home crowd support at Wimbledon, aiming for a deeper tournament run.
Dive Deeper:
Jack Draper, ranked as Britain's world number five, has shown remarkable progress by consistently reaching the fourth round in the last three Grand Slams, but he still seeks to challenge top players like Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.
Although Sinner and Alcaraz have dominated recent Grand Slams by winning the last five, Draper is determined to close the gap by increasing his Grand Slam experience and match count, as he's played significantly fewer ATP matches compared to them.
Improved fitness and strategic victories, such as winning the Indian Wells tournament and reaching the Madrid final, have boosted Draper's world ranking, and he could potentially rise to fourth after the French Open.
As the grass-court season approaches, Draper plans to utilize his powerful serve and familiarity with faster surfaces to advance further in Wimbledon, where his left-handed serve poses a unique challenge to opponents.
Draper has faced issues such as anxiety during high-stakes matches, notably vomiting on court during a US Open semi-final, but he attributes it to painkiller use rather than stress and has sought advice to better manage such situations.
Entering Wimbledon as Britain's number one for the second time, Draper is prepared to handle the pressure and expectations, believing that crowd support will be beneficial if he maintains his current performance level.
To maximize his preparation, Draper has decided to focus on practice instead of defending his Stuttgart title and aims to refine his skills at Queen's Club, setting his sights on a successful Wimbledon campaign.