Draper confesses he is “a long way behind” Sinner and Alcaraz
The Brit says he has “a lot to do” to catch the game’s best
Julien Nouet/Tennis Majors
Heading into week two of Roland-Garros 2025, many tennis fans will have had Jack Draper v Jannik Sinner circled as a blockbuster quarter-final clash.
Draper – who crashed out in the first round of the French Open last year to Dutch qualifier Jesper de Jong – has been one of the great risers over the last 12 months, claiming his maiden ATP Masters 1000 title and breaking into the world’s top five.
To see his level tested against the quality of world No 1 Sinner would have been an excellent benchmark of how far the Brit has come.
And yet, the showdown will not occur this tournament, as Draper exited in the fourth round courtesy of a lights-out performance by world No 62 Alexander Bublik.
Draper: “I do have a lot to do”
Speaking to the media after his shock loss, the 23-year-old confessed that his level is still well below that of Tour-leaders Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.
“I still think I’m a long way behind those boys,” he said. “I still have lots to learn.
“If you look at probably the ATP matches, how many matches they’ve played, they’ve probably played double the amount that I’ve played. They’re probably a year, two years ahead of me and obviously achieved a lot more, a lot more experience.
“I do have a lot to do to catch up with them, in all honesty.
“My level is getting better all the time, but it’s not just the tennis. It’s the majority, the consistency of what they’re doing. Even though I’ve been more consistent, it’s doing it when it matters, and these are the tournaments that it matters.
“I have a lot to go still to get to them, and I think that I’m working hard, I’m doing the right things, and we’ll see.”
The sting of defeat
Despite knowing that he trails the world’s best, Draper confessed that not getting to test himself against Sinner stung.
“Definitely really difficult not to get that opportunity to play Jannik,” he said.
“I’m incredibly disappointed with the result. It’s a really, really tough loss to take for me. My journey, even though I’ve come up quickly this year, I’ve got myself to a high ranking, it’s always been a steep learning curve for me.
“There’s always been a lot of adversity, a lot of injuries, a lot of setbacks.
“This is another one of those tough matches. I’ll learn from it and I’ll get better, and I’ll use it to my advantage.”
With Wimbledon just around the corner, Draper will have plenty of opportunities in the near future to share the court with the sport’s best.
