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Jack Draper leads the ATP Challenger Tour with three titles in 2022

The setting: Centre Court at Wimbledon. The opponent: Novak Djokovic.

It's an incredible opportunity for any player. For Great Britain's own Jack Draper, making his Grand Slam debut on home soil in front of friends and family, it couldn't have been more surreal.

With the world watching, a 19-year-old Draper was thrust into the spotlight as he opened the 2021 Championships. It would have been understandable for the teenager to succumb to nerves, but this Brit is built differently. Just as he did two weeks prior, when he stunned Jannik Sinner and Alexander Bublik on the lawns of The Queen's Club, an ATP 500 event, Draper embraced the moment.

The Sutton native used the pressure as fuel, sprinting out of the gates and snatching the opening set from the World No. 1 on the hallowed grounds of the All England Club. As he says, these moments are precisely why he decided to pursue a professional career.

"For some people, I guess it's money. For some people, it's maybe proving to themselves that they can do it. For me, I just love winning. To be honest, I love to put in the work and then gain the rewards from it. I enjoy how tough it is and I live for the big moments," said Draper.

"Sometimes when you least expect it, you do great things. Sometimes where you've done all the right things, it can totally go against you. It's just trying to keep that line of consistency so that you're not on these massive ups and downs. The opportunity to perform and shine and do great things in tennis are there every week. Just trust the process, even when it gets really hard and you get down and you're maybe not on a good run. My goal is to fulfill my potential of where I can go and just enjoy the process."

Draper

Eight months later, that process has seen him take his talents to new heights on the ATP Challenger Tour in 2022. Draper would claim his maiden title on the indoor hard courts of Forli, Italy, and added two more crowns in February. At 20 years and two months, he became the youngest British player to lift three Challenger trophies. Moreover, an impressive 17-2 record has triggered a significant boost in the ATP Rankings, rising to a career-high No. 146. He is also third in the ATP Race To Milan, with an (early) eye on the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals.

Having missed most of the second half of his 2021 campaign due to a ruptured ligament in his ankle, his early-season success in 2022 is even more special.

Draper attributes his approach to his mother, Nicky, who introduced him to the game at the age of three, and the team at the National Tennis Centre in London, who helped cultivate these values. Nicky was a former top junior in Great Britain and provided a young Jack with valuable exposure, while working as a tennis coach in their hometown. He recalls going with her to the local club from an early age and playing against the wall. And that soon evolved to hitting with his brother, Ben, a future scholar-athlete at the University of California-Berkeley.

As he says, "I just picked up a racquet and we'd hit with each other. It wasn't serious, but we enjoyed the sport and were developing skills without knowing it. I definitely developed a love for the game that way."

Youngest Brits To Win Three Challenger Titles

Player Age Third Title Won
Jack Draper
20 years, 2 months
Forli 2022
Kyle Edmund
20 years, 10 months
Buenos Aires 2015
Alex Bogdanovic
21 years, 6 months
Shrewsbury 2006
Cameron Norrie
22 years, 1 month
Stockton 2017
As Draper's love for tennis began to blossom, he did not commit to the sport until he was 16, when he reached the boys' final at Wimbledon. A multi-sport athlete, which also included football, cricket and swimming, the Brit was unsure of how good he could be as a tennis professional and was reluctant to relinquish his life outside the court during his teenage years.

He says his family was instrumental in guiding him through the process, as he eventually turned pro in 2018. And from there, Draper credits his emotional and physical development to the team at the NTC, including coaches James Trotman and Ryan Jones and fellow British stars Cameron Norrie, Andy Murray and Daniel Evans.

"I definitely believe that in terms of my level of tennis, that I can beat pretty much anyone," Draper added. "I'm lucky to practise at the National Tennis Centre with Murray, Norrie and Evans when they're there. I know that when I go to Challengers, there's going to be some great players I'm facing, so I'm lucky to have good practices like that at the NTC to prepare me. They are all very supportive of us younger players. It helps that there's a good buzz in British tennis at the moment. Whenever there's a chance hit with those guys, we always take advantage of it because they want to push us and they want to help us get to that level.

Draper

"Cam does all the right things. He's very professional. There is never a bad training session with him. Even when it's not going right, he's not letting his head drop. He's making sure that his training is good. He's not getting disheartened. So I think it's a good example that maybe if things aren't going your way, just work at it and you're going to do fine.

"And then the same with Andy as well in terms of the injuries he's had, to keep on wanting to find a way, find a solution to be better and to keep himself out there. I think it's quite important because obviously every athlete deals with injuries, especially in tennis. And it's how you react to certain situations. Those are lessons I learned from those guys."

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Whether it be recovering from a ruptured ankle ligament or rallying from 0/5 down in the deciding tie-break of a Challenger final, Draper credits those experiences at the NTC with his maturation both on and off the court. It was in his most recent Challenger title match in Forli that he recovered from such a deficit, saving four championship points to battle past Alexander Ritschard and lift the trophy.

"I had some good wins against Sinner and Bublik on the grass last year and obviously playing Djokovic at Wimbledon. Since then, I've gone in the right direction, aside from the injury. You never expect to win three Challengers so quickly in the year, but it's about putting all the pieces together - both mentally and physically with my body. It gets to the point where you go from the Futures to the Challengers and you see how good these guys are and every little percent makes a massive difference.

"I try to make them play their best game and make them beat me. That's a big thing. Falling down 0/5 in the tie-break, I know he's going for his first Challenger title and I know if I mentally reset, I will be able to go again for each point. If they are to beat me, they need to repeat this over and over. If they do it, then too good. But I think if I'm engaged on every point and I have an awareness of what's going on down the other end of the court as well, it's a big thing and that's where I've improved a lot."

Draper

Draper, a fan of Manchester United on the football pitch and Conor McGregor in the UFC octagon, is prioritising a well-rounded life off the court. An integral piece of that equation includes continuing his education via online studies. He recently got involved in 'Open University' in the U.K., where he is in the second of a six-year course, studying a different subject each term.

With his dream job being a detective, it's no surprise that he explored the subject of criminology in his first year. Now, Draper says he is studying an introduction to business and finance. He attributes his interest in criminology to watching detective mystery TV shows with his brother as a child.

"If I'm just at home, I have a local, greasy English cafe I like to go to. Living such an abnormal life, I try to make it as normal as possible. I like being at home with my dog and just chilling out with friends. I have an Australian miniature labradoodle. It's amazing to come home and see him. It's important to not get too involved with making it all about the tennis.

"I quickly realised after a couple of years that tennis is something that is amazing, but it occupies a lot of my life. I think it's important to keep the brain occupied and keep learning, of course, because one day my tennis career will come to an end and it would be nice to have learned quite a bit along the way as well. Taking classes is a tough challenge but I'd be pretty proud of myself if I come away with getting something out of it."

Get To Know Jack
Tennis idol: When I was younger, I was lucky to see Murray in his prime. I always looked forward to seeing Andy play. I always thought he was invincible.

Memorable off-court experience: Last year, I went to the Euro (football) semi-finals with my brother at Wembley Stadium. Watching England make the final, there's many middle-aged men that have never seen that and they've been waiting their whole lives. It brought the country together. It's something that will stick with me for a while.

Biggest phobia: Swimming in the sea, just for the fear of sharks. Maybe watching 'Jaws' when I was younger did that to me. I just don't like the sea because I don't know what's in it.

Favourite food from home: Chicken pie. And from a restaurant it would probably be something like Indian food.

Favourite music: Pretty much everything. I like a lot of the stuff that comes out of the U.K. The rap and grime music. But also any of that British pop era stuff, like Oasis and the Stone Roses. Those older bands from the 90s. Their music is pretty timeless.

Two things you can't travel without: It would have to be a speaker. Sometimes you're in your hotel room and just want to crank it up a bit and listen to some music. I'd also say a pair of jeans. There are so many athletes that wear a tracksuit all the time. When you're away from the court, it's important to have a little bit more about you than that. Casual clothes that you can go out with and just show that you're not all about the tennis.

Nakashima beats Kwon on main-draw debut
Jack Draper brought his scintillating form to the big stage at the Miami Open presented by Itau on Wednesday, surging past Gilles Simon to secure a first ATP Masters 1000 win at Hard Rock Stadium.

The 20-year-old Brit, who has already won three titles on the ATP Challenger Tour in 2022, put his strong serve and powerful groundstrokes to good effect to wear down his resilient opponent and secure a 7-5, 6-1 victory.

The hot and humid conditions in Miami will make the win all the more pleasing for Draper, who was forced to retire against Mikhail Kukushkin on his debut at the tournament a year ago.

"[It feels] really good," said Draper after the match. "I played an okay match today. It was tough conditions. It wasn't the easiest, especially after what happened last year. It was in the back of my mind a little bit.

"I'm glad to come through the match. I think it shows the work I've put in the last six months, so I'm happy with the performance today."

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After an early exchange of breaks, a poor service game from Simon at 5-5 presented Draper with the opportunity to clinch the opening set, the 20-year-old showing no signs of nerves as he served it out to love.

The second set was a more one-sided affair. Draper breaking three times to complete the win in one hour, 48 minutes. Whenever he was under pressure in the match, the Brit’s big serve guided him away from trouble. He saved six out of seven break points he faced and won 70 per cent (28/40) of points behind his first serve, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

The defeat leaves Simon still two victories short of 500 career-wins, while Draper’s bid to reach November’s Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals continues to gather momentum.


Next up for Draper is a familiar face, fellow Brit Cameron Norrie. It will be the pair’s second tour-level meeting, after Norrie ended Draper’s promising run at the 2021 Cinch Championships in London at the quarter-final stage.

"I've played a lot with Cam in the UK," said Draper. "He's one of the guys who has been great with me as a young Brit. I think he's always supporting, always sending me messages.

"[It's] nice I get to share the court with him on Friday. When I played him at Queen's last year, I'm a lot better player than that I think. Hopefully I can give him a run for his money on Friday."

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Brandon Nakashima also enjoyed a first Miami main-draw win on Wednesday, overcoming World No. 63 Soonwoo Kwon, 6-1, 7-5, to set an all-American second-round clash with 28th seed Frances Tiafoe.

#NextGenATP star Nakashima took advantage of an error-strewn start from Kwon to surge ahead and then broke at the tail end of the second set to clinch victory in the pair’s first ATP Head2Head meeting.

Francisco Cerundolo was making his Masters 1000 main-draw debut and facing Tallon Griekspoor for the first time, but the Argentine handled both the conditions and his opponent well as he claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 victory. Defeat leaves World No. 57 Griekspoor, also playing for the first time at Hard Rock Stadium, still hunting a first win at Masters 1000 level. Cerundolo’s next assignment is a second-round meeting with 16th seed Reilly Opelka.

Earlier in the day World No. 68 Hugo Gaston notched his second tour-level win of the season in rapid time, beating 20-year-old American wild card Emilio Nava 6-2, 6-1 in just over an hour to move through to a second-round clash with 2018 champion John Isner.

Former World No. 4 discusses the #NextGenATP star's game
Jack Draper not only earned his first ATP Masters 1000 victory on Wednesday at the Miami Open presented by Itau, but he also received a stamp of approval from a fellow Briton who knows a thing or two about tennis success.

Former World No. 4 Tim Henman told ATPTour.com after the match that Draper, who defeated former World No. 6 Gilles Simon 7-5, 6-1, is “very good”. The 20-year-old is fourth in the ATP Race To Milan for a spot at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals.

“He’s got weapons. He’s a lefty, he’s got a big serve, he’s got a really heavy forehand. He’s brought that physicality, he’s put on a lot of muscle mass, he’s a good athlete,” Henman said. “He’s adding elements to his game. It’s still early days, but as long as he stays healthy, we’ll see a lot more from him in the future.”

A year ago in Miami, Draper played an 82-minute first set against Mikhail Kukushkin. Then 19, he was forced to retire from the match due to heat. On Wednesday, the lefty had no such difficulties under the Florida sun.

“It’s been great to watch his progression,” Henman told ATPTour.com. “And obviously when you take into account where he was 12 months ago here, in similar conditions, and he was cooked after a set… to see him play against a class opponent and come out on top, both in tennis terms, but in physical terms [too], it’s good times.”

<a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/jack ... view'>Jack Draper</a>
Photo Credit: Peter Staples/ATP Tour
Draper showed great maturity against a tricky player in Simon. Serving up a break at 4-3, 30/0, he played some loose points on the forehand side to give the break back. But as Henman said, “there was no panic”. The #NextGenATP star competed through the adversity and won nine of the match’s final 10 games.

“He’s always been a good competitor, and his game has been developing and to a certain extent it’s taken him a little bit of time for his physicality to catch up,” Henman said. “He’s had quite a few injuries, hasn’t really been able to build the momentum previously but this year it’s a different story.”

The lefty has won three ATP Challenger Tour titles this year, becoming the youngest Briton to earn three Challenger trophies.

“I think people that understand the game know that the level of tennis at Challenger level is very high,” Henman said. “It’s not a big step up to the main Tour, and with all those wins he’s got a lot of confidence under his belt.”

Now Draper is on one of the sport’s biggest stages, proving he can compete against the world’s best. It is not the first time he has done so, though. Last year at the Cinch Championships, held at The Queen’s Club, he upset Jannik Sinner and Alexander Bublik. Then at Wimbledon, Draper won the first set against eventual champion Novak Djokovic before losing in four sets.

“I was there. Tough draw, wasn’t it?” Henman said. “But he embraced that challenge. He lost that day but to take a set off Djokovic, the first set he’s played on Centre Court at Wimbledon, he did himself proud and he would have learnt a lot. As I said, I think it won’t be long before he’s back out on Centre Court again.”

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Next up in Miami for Draper will be fellow Briton Cameron Norrie, the man who defeated him at The Queen’s Club last year 6-3, 6-3. They are plenty familiar with each other despite Norrie being more than six years older.

“I've played a lot with Cam in the U.K. He's one of the guys who has been great with me as a young Brit. I think he's always supporting, always sending me messages,” Draper said. “Nice I get to share the court with him on Friday. When I played him at Queen's last year, I'm a lot better player than that I think. Hopefully I can give him a run for his money on Friday.”

No matter what happens in that match, Henman added that it’s important to remember a tennis career is a long journey. Draper is still at the start.

“It is [important]. It’s such a competitive environment, you’ve got to enjoy winning, but the reality in this sport is you lose a lot. It doesn’t matter who you are, you lose a lot,” Henman said. “You talk about at these types of events, there’s only one winner, there will be 95 or more losers in both the men’s and the women’s. So you’ve got to learn from that side of things, and I think that’s where he’s maturing and this is another important stepping stone for him, his first win at a Masters 1000, and it will be the first of many because he’s very good.”

Draper and Henman had a brief chat inside Hard Rock Stadium on Wednesday afternoon. Before that moment, ATPTour.com asked Henman what advice he would give the #NextGenATP player.

“There’s going to be a lot of bumps in the road,” Henman said. “But keep putting the work in, day in, day out, small improvements, and he’s going to have a good career.”