Mats Wilander discussed one of the top contenders for the Wimbledon title, Jack Draper.
The 23-year-old will compete at his home Grand Slam for the fourth time and the British fans are backing him for success.
Draper clinched the number four seeding at the tournament by reaching the semi-finals at the Queen’s Club Championships.
This is the Brit’s highest seed at a Grand Slam and he is ready to go in search of glory at the All-England Club.
Mats Wilander predicts how Jack Draper will do at Wimbledon
Jack Draper will aim to produce his best tennis at the Wimbledon Championships, the grandest stage in the sport.
Over the past year the World number four has claimed a Masters 1000 title and reached a Grand Slam semi-final.
He has played himself into contention for the Wimbledon title but in order to lift the prestigious trophy, Draper may have to beat defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, world number one Jannik Sinner and Olympic gold medallist Novak Djokovic.
This is the toughest task in men’s tennis at present, and while Mats Wilander does not expect Draper to win the title, the Swede thinks he will have a deep run at the tournament.
“I don’t think that I’m necessarily expecting him to reach the semi-finals. I think he has a chance,” the former world one told TNT Sports.
“I think he has a chance to get to the finals. But I don’t know if he can win the title with Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic in the draw. I mean, you could play all three of those guys, which is pretty unbelievable.
“But anyway, Jack Draper has a chance to do something good, but I wouldn’t be surprised. Either way, I think he’s going to play a great tournament and play great individual matches.”
Jack Draper says whether he is close to Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner’s level
Sinner and Alcaraz have taken over the men’s game and have won seven of the last eight majors.
They are ranked number one and two in the world and produced one of the best Grand Slam finals in history at the French Open.
Despite Draper’s improved level of play, he admitted that he is still way behind Alcaraz and Sinner, but he is determined to catch them.
“They are similar ages, but they’ve been on tour being a top player maybe a couple of years more than I have,” Draper told The Standard.
“What they’ve been able to do is incredibly impressive. The results and titles speak for themselves. I’m still a long way from where they’re at.
“I aspire to be with them, but right now I’ve got to focus on myself and work hard to prove that I can get to their level.”
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