The remarkable rise of Jack Draper in 2025 looks to be continuing with another strong week on the grass.
Now ranked well inside the top ten, Draper has become a regular contender at the sport’s biggest tournaments.
After Draper won Indian Wells in March, he reached the final of the Madrid Open, proving his talents on both hard and clay courts.
Moving onto grass, he looked just as comfortable as Draper beat Jenson Brooksby 6-3, 6-1, in his opening match at Queen’s.
He faced a tougher challenge in round two but still emerged victorious when Draper defeated Alexei Popyrin 3-6, 6-2, 7-6.
Reacting to Draper’s latest win at the Queen’s Club Championships, a former Grand Slam finalist has revealed whether he thinks the 23-year-old has what it takes to clinch the title.
John Lloyd says Jack Draper can win Queen’s in 2025, ‘why not?’
Speaking on BBC Sport after Draper’s second-round win, 1977 Australian Open finalist John Lloyd gave his verdict on whether the Brit is now ready for Wimbledon, and if he can win Queen’s.
“It’s literally just getting sharp, you get that through practise, and matches, that’s what he needs,” said Lloyd.
“He knows that, he’s got two matches under his belt now, he’s got a third one coming up, in an ideal world he wants to win this tournament, but no matter what happens now, he’s ok for Wimbledon, he’s played enough matches, and certainly will have done by Friday.
“The confidence is there, no matter what happens, but he can win this tournament, why not?”
Lloyd went on to share his thoughts on the match itself, where Draper and Popyrin battled it out in a thriller on Andy Murray Arena.
“We knew it was going to be a tough match, [Alexei] Popyrin is very good on this surface,” he said.
“Popyrin is a big player, big serve, big forehand. The courts this year are playing very fast with the weather we’ve had, and with the ladies playing as well, they’ve quickened the courts up.
“You’re going to play against these players, these players are so tough, it’s going to be nip and tuck, it’s going to come down to one or two points.”
Draper hit an excellent backhand at 5-5 in the deciding set tiebreak to give himself match point, which he converted with an ace.
“Jack [Draper] came through when the pressure was on with that big backhand,” said Lloyd.
“He said afterwards that there are things he’s got to work on, there were a couple of forehands he would’ve liked, touch shots where he hasn’t quite got the feel in.
“But when the crunch came, he played well, took on the ball when he needed to, played the better tiebreak.”
Lloyd was also keen to highlight the role the home crowd played in Draper’s second-round win.
“Overall, he’ll be so pleased with this match, because to come through this type of match, you need this competition before going into a Slam, and he wants to win this tournament as well,” he said.
“This was a big win for him. He lives through the crowd. When he makes a mistake, you can hear 9,000 people make that noise, but when he hits a good winner, the sound goes through the roof, and he loves that too, so he’s enjoying the crowds.”
Is Jack Draper the favorite to win Queen’s in 2025?
Only three of the top eight seeds remain in the Queen’s draw, as several big names suffered shock early exits.
| Seed | Name | Round | Opponent |
| 1 | Carlos Alcaraz | Second round* | Jaume Munar |
| 2 | Jack Draper | Quarterfinals* | Brandon Nakashima |
| 3 | Taylor Fritz | Lost in first round | Corentin Moutet |
| 4 | Holger Rune | Quarterfinals* | Roberto Bautista Agut |
| 5 | Alex de Minaur | Lost in first round | Jiri Lehecka |
| 6 | Ben Shelton | Lost in first round | Arthur Rinderknech |
| 7 | Frances Tiafoe | Lost in first round | Dan Evans |
| 8 | Jakub Mensik | Lost in second round | Roberto Bautista Agut |
When world number four Taylor Fritz lost to Corentin Moutet in the first round, Draper immediately became the favorite to reach the final.
That’s not to say there aren’t talented players in the ‘bottom half’ of the Queen’s draw, but it’s fair to say Draper would be expected to make his way through the field without too much trouble.
Players in the bottom half of the Queen’s draw
- QF – Brandon Nakashima
- Potential SF – Corentin Moutet
- Potential SF – Jacob Fearnley
- Potential SF – Jiri Lehecka
- Potential SF – Gabriel Diallo
Draper’s biggest challenge is likely to come in the final, where he could come face to face with five-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz.
The Spaniard won Queen’s two years ago, and has proven to be the best grass-court player alive in recent years.
Only time will tell if Draper and Alcaraz will both reach the final, but it’s certainly something to look out for.
Alcaraz will play Jaume Munar in his second-round match on Thursday, June 19, before Draper takes on Brandon Nakashima on Friday, June 20.
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