British number one Jack Draper has been given a brutal Wimbledon draw.
The prestigious tournament is just around the corner, with the first round of matches set to begin on Monday.
With Wimbledon’s first-round draw completed, we now know who the likes of Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Emma Raducanu will be playing in their opening matches of the tournament. We also now know the tournament bracket, and who some of the biggest stars may have to face on their way to the final.
No one has it tougher than world number four Jack Draper, who may have to fight through some of the sport’s biggest names to become the first Brit to win the tournament since Andy Murray in 2016.
Fans react to Jack Draper’s ‘brutal’ Wimbledon draw
If all of the top-seeded players win their games, Draper’s run to Wimbledon glory will include taking on five players in the top 30, and three in the top six of men’s tennis.
After his opening round against Sebastian Baez, his tournament could look like this:
| Round 2 | Marin Čilić |
| Round 3 | Alexander Bublik |
| Round 4 | Jakub Menšík |
| Quarter-Final | Novak Djokovic |
| Semi-Final | Jannik Sinner |
| Final | Carlos Alcaraz |
Some were left astonished by Draper’s tough luck. “That’s a horrid Wimbledon draw for Jack Draper. Couldn’t be much tougher,” said one fan on X.
“Jack Draper’s draw is an absolute NIGHTMARE. I think expectations needed to be kept in check prior to it, but after seeing that, fans certainly need to be realistic,” added another.
Fans were quick to note the early test of the in-form Alexander Bublik, who Draper may play in round three. Bublik beat Draper in round four in a shock upset at Roland Garros, and it seems the British public aren’t confident of a revenge match for Draper.
Journalist Ben Rothenberg said the British crowd present at the draw were deflated by the prospect of a rematch.
“Jack Draper draws recent Halle champion Alexander Bublik, who also beat him at Roland Garros, in a projected third round,” he posted to X.
“There was a loud, British sigh in the audience.”
But Draper is the world number four on merit, fighting through to the Queen’s semi-final prior to Wimbledon. Draper said Queen’s was practice for Wimbledon, and it was a solid outing for the Brit, who takes good form into this tournament.
That has left some fans optimistic for Draper’s chances in what would be a legendary run.
“Will be a legendary run, if he can pull it off,” said a fan. Another backed the 23-year-old’s talent: “Tough tough draw for Jack, but anything is possible with Jack.”
Jack Draper’s meteoric rise to contention
The last 12 months have seen Draper shoot up the ATP rankings to become a real contender at major tournaments. He made headlines at the US Open by making the semi-final before losing to Jannik Sinner.
He took his biggest career win at Indian Wells, taking down Alcaraz on his way to an ATP 1000 victory, and made his first clay court semi-final at the Madrid Open.
This will be Draper’s fourth appearance at Wimbledon, but with his rise up the rankings this year, it will be his first as a contending talent. He enters the competition with expectation on his shoulders, but doesn’t have a wealth of Wimbledon successes to fall back on.
He has never progressed past the second round, losing to fellow Brit Cameron Norrie last year.
While Draper is still a young prospect, the stars of his generation share his youth. World number one Sinner is 23, and back-to-back Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz, going for his third straight Wimbledon title, is 22.
Draper will have to do battle with generational talents such as Alcaraz and Sinner for his entire career, so this test at Wimbledon may be a pivotal test for tournaments to come.