Jack Draper is still touted for big things despite bowing out early in the second round at Wimbledon.
Britain’s Jack Draper has endured a slightly topsy-turvy last month, with a premature exit in the second round of Wimbledon to compatriot and rival Cam Norrie.
The hopeful British clamor grew even louder for Draper after Andy Murray’s withdrawal from the singles left the crowd without their precious two-time champion.
A superb run in Stuttgart saw Draper pick up his maiden ATP Tour title before a dismantling of Carlos Alcaraz at Queen’s turned the heads of just about everyone, with many suggesting Draper could go far at the championships.
Despite the disappointing early exit, Draper still largely remains in the conversation to join Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner at the top of the new proverbial ‘Big Three’.
What did Tim Henman say about Jack Draper’s grand slam prospects?
The four-time Wimbledon semi-finalist Tim Henman has long been an asset to the BBC’s coverage of the Championships.
Despite acknowledging the widespread disappointment at Draper’s underwhelming Wimbledon run, the 49-year-old has remained optimistic about the future of British men’s tennis.
Speaking alongside John McEnroe on ‘6-Love-6’, a call-in radio show on the BBC, Henman said: “I think Jack (Draper) can be a contender in slams. He’s moving into a challenging era with Alcaraz, Sinner, Holger Rune who we saw tonight against Djokovic.
“I think Jack has got a good understanding, he’s top 30 now, I think he’s going to be around 15 by the end of the year and he’s still young, he’s not been playing long.
“Jack has got a chance but I hope we don’t have to wait another 77 years! It was a long wait.”
With Murray’s titles coming in 2013 and 2016, some of Britain’s best sporting feats have played out on the green grass of Wimbledon.
What comes next for British tennis?
While no British players remain in the Wimbledon singles draw, with no male players reaching beyond the third round, Draper still remains the front-runner on the men’s side to change the narrative and revamp British tennis.
At just 22, Draper already has a variety of weapons including a huge serve and booming forehand, that have helped him shoot up the rankings.
Prospects on the women’s side however feel a whole lot brighter with solid Wimbledon campaigns from Emma Raducanu, Sonay Kartal, Katie Boulter, and Harriet Dart leaving the home fans with a greater sense of hope.
Raducanu came undone by the plucky, big-hitting Kiwi, Lulu Sun, but still looks to be enjoying her tennis much more after an injury-hampered few years after her glory at the US Open in 2021.
With Henman certainly knowing a thing or two about the pressures piled on the Brits during Wimbledon, his positivity may well somewhat nurse the wounds of Draper’s Wimbledon and help set him on a winning path for the rest of the year.
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