Meet Jack Draper: Britain’s hot new tennis star and ‘Murray’s heir’
Jack Draper marched his way into the US Open finals this week after a series of stunning performances in which he has yet to drop a single set.
The 22-year-old Briton has been providing the breakout performance of the tournament, with many positioned on the edge of their seats to see how he will fare against Italian tennis prince Jannik Sinner, the current world number one, on Friday.
Draper broke onto the scene at Wimbledon in 2021 when he was selected as the wildcard who was pitted against Novak Djokovic, the eventual champion, in the first round. The then-19-year-old held on enough to take the first set, the first Djokovic had lost at Wimbledon since 2010.
Jack Draper in 2021
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By 2022, Draper had risen more than 150 places in rankings to No 94 in the world. At the time, he was hailed at Andy Murray’s ‘heir’ by the likes of Tatler and the Daily Mail.
Now he’s all the way up to No 25 thanks to his victory over Alex De Minaur, the Australian tennis player and boyfriend of fellow British tennis pro Katie Boulter, on Wednesday.
And Brits are captivated by more than just his prowess on the tennis court. Draper is signed to IMG Models and frequently attracts more than a few thirsty boys and girls in the comments section of his Instagram posts.
So where did this handsome British tennis pro come from? Here’s everything you need to know.
Born in south west London, destined for Wimbledon
Jack Draper was born in the London borough of Sutton, south west London, a mere 20 minute drive away from Centre Court in Wimbledon, a place he would eventually become very familiar with.
Growing up in the nearby town of Ashtead, in Surrey, Draper was raised with a racket in hand. His father, Roger Draper, was once chief executive of Sport England and the Lawn Tennis Association, and his mother, Nicky Draper, is a former junior British tennis champion. His grandmother was one of his tennis coaches growing up and his brother, Ben, is also a professional tennis player, having attended the University of California at Berkeley on a tennis scholarship.
Draper attended Parkside School, a private preparatory school in Cobham, for primary schooling, later moving to Reed’s School in the same area, an independent day and boarding school.
Jack Draper in 2017
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He was first thrust into the limelight in 2018, when he reached the Boys’ Singles Grand Slam final at the Wimbledon Junior Championships aged 16. Draper eventually lost out on the title after failing to triumph over Taiwanese player Tseng Chun-hsin (highest ranking No 83, as of 2024).
In 2020, while ranked No 320 in the world, he reflected upon the unglamourous side of tennis while speaking to South West Londoner. “Players at lower levels have to go and grind in horrible places and only see their bedroom and the tennis court for two weeks,” he said. “People see tennis on TV, and they watch the Australian Open or Wimbledon and they see Federer and he’s there not sweating. That’s not what tennis is, tennis is the complete opposite of that. I’ve learned that in the last 18 months – tennis really isn’t glamorous.”
A young tennis pro beats Jannik Singer, earns himself Andy Murray comparisons
Draper returned to the limelight in 2021 when he emerged from a troubling period of multiple injuries to play at the Queen’s Club Championships that June. It was here that Draper secured the biggest win of his career to date with a victory over none other than Jannik Singer, at that point world No 23, with Draper entered as a wildcard. The 19-year-old Briton went on to reach the quarter finals, where he lost to fellow Brit Cameron Norrie.
The loss was sad, but tinged with hope — Draper’s position in the quarterfinals marked him as the youngest British ATP quarterfinalist since Andy Murray in 2006 and earned him a top 250 debut in the ATP rankings.
Getty Images for LTA
Another wildcard led Draper back into the forefront of tennis later that month, when he was pulled into the singles main draw at Wimbledon to face Novak Djokovic. While Djokovic went on to win the whole tournament, Draper held his own for a little while during their match, managing to claim the first set before losing the other three.
Since then, the tennis star has been rising through the ranks with good performances in various competitions and many fresh milestones. In 2022, he broke the top 50 rankings for the first time and also qualified for the Next Generation ATP Finals, making him the first Briton to do so. In 2023, at the Bulgarian Sofia Open, he became the youngest Briton to reach an ATP Tour final since Andy Murray in 2009 Miami.
A move to Putney and a well-hidden private life
This year, you have likely spotted Draper at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he had a relatively disappointing appearance, winning against Kei Nishikori in the first round, only to lose to seventh seed Taylor Fritz in three sets. He became the final British tennis player to be knocked out of the competition following defeats for Dan Evans and Katie Boulter, as well as Cameron Norrie’s pre-tournament withdrawal.
As for his personal life, well, very little is known about Draper’s social circle or romantic life. It is unknown whether Draper has a girlfriend, boyfriend or any partner, as his private life is kept so tightly under wraps.
What we do know is this: he’s a Manchester United supporter. He likes rap and grime music. He’s “quite low maintenance”. He recently moved out of his family home in Surrey to live in East Putney with fellow tennis pro Paul Jubb. He counts Emma Raducanu, Katie Boulter and Cameron Norrie as friends. When asked by Vogue about tennis romances earlier this year, he brushed it off, saying: “I wouldn’t know much about that.”
The only real peek into Draper’s private life came in late 2023, when he revealed that he was raising money for Alzheimer’s Society in honour of his grandmother. “Usually, I don’t like to talk too much on here, but this post is very important to me,” he wrote on Instagram.“Those who know me will know that my nana is one of the most special and important people in my life. She was a tennis coach and my biggest supporter/inspiration growing up. Almost 10 years ago, she was diagnosed with dementia and has been gradually declining ever since.”
All eyes will be on Draper this Friday as he takes to the court in an attempt to defeat Jannik Sinner, the current world No 1. If he does, Draper will have claimed his first US Open title — the first Brit to win since Emma Radacanu in 2021, and the first British man to win since Andy Murray in 2016 — taking those Murray comparisons from rife to completely unavoidable.