On June 20th, local time, a major upset took place at the ATP 500 Queen’s Club tournament as defending champion Carlos Alcaraz was knocked out in the second round with a 6-7(3)/3-6 loss to the newly-crowned British No. 1 Jack Draper, ending his quest for the quarterfinals.
Heading into this week’s Queen’s Club event, both Alcaraz and Draper were on winning streaks. Fresh off his French Open triumph, Alcaraz arrived in London full of confidence to kickstart his grass season, while Draper had just lifted his first ATP Tour title at the Stuttgart Open the previous week.
Jack Draper
This marked Draper’s third win over a Top 10 player. The Briton’s current live ranking has climbed to No. 28. “It was a really tough match,” Draper said after the win. “I know Carlos is the defending champion, he won Wimbledon last year, he’s got a lot of talent, and he’s great for the sport. So I knew I had to bring a high level, and fortunately, I did.”
Born and raised in Sutton, a town in South London, Draper’s tennis journey owes much to two women in his family – his mother and grandmother. His mother, an accomplished junior tennis player who later became a coach in their hometown, laid the foundation for Draper’s tennis upbringing, with him starting to play at a local club at a young age.
“My mum is the most important person in my life, she’s my rock, everything. We’ve been through so much together, and I think any parent in sport knows how tough it can be. And then my grandparents, especially my grandma, who’s had dementia for ten years now, she was crucial in my early years with tennis, she’s my tennis inspiration.”
The left-hander turned pro in 2018. After honing his skills on the Challenger circuit, Draper had his breakthrough in 2022, securing main-draw wins at the Miami and Madrid Masters, followed by a semifinal appearance at the Eastbourne grass event. Later that year, he stunned Stefanos Tsitsipas at the Rogers Cup for his first Top 10 victory and reached the third round at the US Open, defeating Felix Auger-Aliassime along the way.
In January 2023, Draper climbed to No. 38 in the world rankings but suffered a shoulder injury that kept him out for six months, causing him to drop out of the Top 100 in August. However, upon his return, he quickly regained form, reaching the Round of 16 at the US Open for his best Grand Slam performance and then the final in Sofia, where he finished runner-up to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
Draper is known as a specialist on hard courts, particularly grass, while clay poses more challenges. He reached the finals in Adelaide and Acapulco this year on hard courts and had a modest clay-court season. With the grass swing starting last week, Draper captured his maiden title in Stuttgart, defeating the returning Matteo Berrettini in the final.
Reflecting on his recent breakthroughs, Draper credited the support from coaches and fellow Britons. “I’m lucky to train at the National Tennis Centre with Murray, Norrie, Evans, and so on. Training with them at such a high level helps me compete against top players on the Challenger and Tour. They’ve all been very supportive of me and other young players.”
Draper has been working with British coach James Trotman for three years, and recently, Wayne Ferreira, a former coach of Taylor Fritz, joined the team.
Draper will face fifth seed Tommy Paul in the Queen’s Club quarterfinals, marking their fourth encounter this year. Draper has prevailed in Adelaide and Acapulco, while Paul triumphed at the Australian Open.
The ATP 500 Queen’s Club quarterfinal matchups:
Draper vs. Paul
Rincci vs. Korda
Musetti vs. Harris
Thompson vs. Fritz
(Written and edited by Fei Wang)