Jack Draper claimed the first Masters 1000 title of his career with a stunning straight set victory over Holger Rune at Indian Wells on Sunday, continuing his meteoric rise to the top of tennis.
Eager not to bask in his first ATP title success, the world No 7 and British No 1 immediately looked towards his next step in Sunday’s post-match interview — admitting his motive now is to get his hands on a Grand Slam.
Andy Murray sure knows a thing or two about winning those, having twice been crowned Wimbledon champion and having once worn the US Open crown, and Draper’s success of late has led many fans to draw comparisons between the pair.
But is Draper set to emerge as the next Murray in UK tennis? Former British No 1 GREG RUSEDSKI takes a look at each athlete’s game across seven different metrics.
Serve
Draper 9 Murray 8
I would always prefer Draper’s serve over Murray’s. Jack has a huge advantage being a lefty, with the wide serve on the advantage side and also the one that swerves into the body.
Jack Draper triumphed at Indian Wells to claim his first Masters 1000 title of his budding career
Comparisons are starting to be drawn between Draper and all-time British great Andy Murray
Draper has a huge advantage being a lefty, with the wide serve on the advantage side and also the one that swerves into the body. (The Brit pictured serving in the men’s final at Indian Wells)
No question about the speed and power, now it’s about adding a little bit more kick and variety, especially on the second serve.
Murray’s second serve was definitely attackable. When he got nervous the speed on the second sometimes wouldn’t be up to it, but he defended so well that he could get away with it.
Return
Draper 9 Murray 10
Murray’s returns were on another planet. He could block or attack, take it early or stand back. There was nothing he couldn’t do. Draper’s return numbers are up there with the best on tour. He sees the ball exceptionally well and reads the serve; you can tell it’s a natural instinct to him.
As a kid he wasn’t that tall so he was a counter-puncher, which means he has a very compact stroke. Coach James Trotman is working on him being more aggressive on the second-serve return.
Forehand
Draper 9 Murray 8
Guys I work with who practise with Draper say his forehand is like a sledgehammer coming at you. It’s not quite up there with the best forehands in the world, but he’s not far away.
For Andy it was the weaker of his two groundstrokes, the shot he was always working on and tweaking. He defended better on the forehand side, but Draper is better at stepping in and being aggressive. When Ivan Lendl came in and Andy started winning Grand Slams, he was willing to be more positive on that side.
The Scot’s returns were simply on another planet – there was nothing Murray couldn’t do
Draper’s forehand is like a sledgehammer coming at you and is a significant part of his game
Ex-British No 1 Greg Rusedski has compared the two tennis stars across different metrics
Backhand
Draper 9 Murray 10
Andy’s two-handed backhand was one of the best of all-time. He also had an exceptional slice, so there was more variety, craft and guile than Draper.
Draper really utilises the cross-court flat backhand and because he has much more spin on the forehand, it’s a lovely mix of pace and tempo, not as fast as his forehand but so effective.
Being a natural right-hander allows him to use the extra strength in his right hand to create those angles and get more power.
Volleys/drop shots
Draper 9 Murray 10
Murray was a little tentative on his volleys at times, but his feels, dinks, drop shots, short angles and lobs were a 10.
Jack has improved his volleys. They worked on it a lot last year, especially before the US Open.
With the drop shot, he has really good feel for a big man and it’s a great shot to have because a lot of modern guys have an allergy to volleys — they do not like being forced to come forward.
Murray’s backhand was elite, and his two-handed backhand has to be one of the greatest ever
Draper has improved his volleys and as for his dropshot, he has a really good feel for a big man
Physicality/movement
Draper 8 Murray 10
Murray is the gold standard with his physicality. He was very, very fast, but it’s also reading the play and anticipating.
Jack does that very well too and moves really well for a big guy. Physically he’s on his journey right now.
You don’t get into the top 10 without putting in the work, but he’s going to get stronger and continue to build.
He’s still not there and that’s exciting, because that says you have something to build to.
Mentality
Draper 9 Murray 10
I know sometimes people didn’t enjoy it when Murray was getting cross, complaining or having a go at his team, but he’d always dial back in. The public didn’t always understand that, but he was present for every point.
Jack is very strong mentally. He has talked about having a breathing coach to help him relax and that shows he has the strength to be able to admit you need to improve.
Fewer athletes in tennis history have boasted a better mentality than Murray, even when angry
Draper still has a way to go to match Murray’s all-round game, but the future looks very bright
He’s getting the help to deal with the pressure and expectation. He’s willing to search every avenue to get better.
Overall
Draper: 62/70
Murray: 66/70
