And so begins the biggest fortnight of Jack Draper’s life, a fortnight in which the brilliance of his tennis but also his doubts, nerves and insecurities will be laid bare before the British public.
The 23-year-old is the No 4 seed, a Grand Slam semi-finalist at last year’s US Open, and a Masters champion in Indian Wells. Everything about him suggests he is ready to launch his first assault on the Wimbledon title, but is he ready for the hullabaloo which would come alongside it?
‘As things change, more people will be asking questions, more people will want stuff from you,’ said Draper on the eve of the tournament. ‘That’s where it’s important to have good people around. I’ve always had a really small circle, always been quite wary of people’s intentions – I’ve changed my phone number a couple of times.
‘I keep my circle very, very small. The people that have been with me throughout my journey, those are the only people I need in my world. I’m always going to be the same no matter my success.’
A curiosity of Draper’s superb 2025 season is how often he has had the crowd against him. He faced two Aussies in Melbourne, three Americans in Indian Wells and a Frenchman in Paris. He has played fan favourites Carlos Alcaraz and Joao Fonseca thrice and twice respectively.
It will feel unfamiliar to be cheered to the rafters on Tuesday but it is vital Draper establishes a connection with the Wimbledon crowd. Andy Murray was able to induce fervour in the normally placid patrons and, in his own way, Tim Henman could send shivers through Centre Court with a discreet clench of the fist.
Jack Draper is eager to fend off the energy from the Wimbledon crowd in his title bid
Everything about him suggests he is ready to launch his first assault on the SW19 crown
A curiosity of Draper’s superb 2025 season is how often he has had the crowd against him
Draper competes with a broiling intensity but much of his energy is directed inwards, not outwards. That needs to change this week.
‘It’s a great opportunity to show the British public what I’m able to do and the type of personality I am,’ said Draper. ‘I’ve always been quite an intense player so I’m always thinking about myself, but at Wimbledon it’s a great chance to get the crowd involved. That’s a real asset.’
The big question is: can Draper really contend for the title? His chances certainly took a hit when the names were taken from the velvet bag in Wimbledon’s wonderfully old-fashioned draw ceremony on Friday.
In the third round he is due to meet Alexander Bublik, the man who drop-shotted him to death in the French Open and won the title on the grass of Halle eight days ago.
From the quarter-final onwards, Draper’s projected route to the title reads: Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, Alcaraz. Yikes.
But his opener against 5ft 7in Argentine clay specialist Sebastian Baez looks kind and there is nothing to fear in the second round either. He should at least be able to play his way in but the bookies saw enough gremlins in the draw to more than double Draper’s odds from around 8-1 to 18-1.
Draper looks a step behind the top dogs of Sinner and Alcaraz, although grass is the only surface on which he has beaten both and the lawns give him a helping hand on his serve. Wimbledon could offer his best opportunity to beat them in a Grand Slam.
The same can be said of Djokovic, the third favourite for the title.
He competes with an inward, broiling intensity, but that will have to change this week
The Brit’s title chances took a hit after the draw – from the quarter-final onwards, a potential run looks brutal
Grass-court combat is less about raw physicality and power and, at the age of 38, that is to the Serb’s advantage. He is a seven-time champion here and has reached the last six finals – this is without doubt his best, and in my view his last, chance to win a 25th Grand Slam title.
As for the women’s singles, the expectation – and, to be frank, the hope – is for the run of surprise champions to be ended by a blue-chip winner.
Marketa Vondrousova (2023) and Barbora Krejcikova (2024) came out of nowhere to take the last two titles but this year world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka looks a strong favourite. Elena Rybakina, winner in 2022, has a natural game for grass, Iga Swiatek is improving on the surface and French Open champion Coco Gauff is in the mix.
For those who fancy a flutter, Jessica Pegula, Madison Keys and Mirra Andreeva look nicely priced.
Back to the Brits. Draper is leading a cast of 23 home players in the singles draws – the most since 1984. It is a number vastly inflated by 15 wildcards but there is no doubt tennis in this country is on an upward trajectory.
On the women’s side, earlier this month we had three in the top 50 for the first time since 1986, Sonay Kartal joining Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter.
All eyes will be on Raducanu but the odds are against her making a third visit to the fourth round here, with Vondrousova and Sabalenka lurking in her section. Boulter takes on close friend and No 9 seed Paula Badosa on Monday and if she can spring an upset, her draw opens up nicely.
The match of the opening day from a parochial perspective is Raducanu against Mimi Xu, one of three teenagers who make up a golden generation. Xu, 17, Hannah Klugman and Mika Stojsavljevic, both 16, all play on Monday, the latest staging post on a journey which has seen them rise through the ranks together.
All eyes are on Emma Raducanu but the odds of her reaching the fourth round are against her
Raducanu is still managing pain from a back spasm and Mimi Xu has a shot of an upset
Jacob Fearnley is best-placed to be the Robin to Draper’s Batman at Wimbledon
Draper will hope to get the nation dreaming again but superstar names await
Xu has earned two top-100 wins on the grass in a matter of weeks, and with Raducanu still managing pain from a back spasm suffered before the French Open, the kid from Swansea has a realistic shot of an upset.
Klugman comes in off the back of the French Open junior final, a run she partly ascribed to a lunch with Draper last year. Draper benefited so much in his young days from the counsel and example of Andy Murray and is clearly determined to do his best to lift all boats of British tennis on his rising tide.
‘My message to her was that everyone’s on their own journeys,’ said Draper. ‘If you look at someone who’s doing incredibly well, it doesn’t mean they have got it all figured out – they just know how to deal with it better.
‘Don’t be afraid of the doubts, the fear and the anxiety and the struggles. It just takes time to understand yourself better.’
If those three girls are pure homegrown, on the men’s side the British contingent owe as much to the NCAA as the LTA.
Seven of the 13 in the draw have come through the American collegiate system.
Jacob Fearnley, Cam Norrie and Jack Pinnington Jones are Horned Frogs of Texas Christian University, Oliver Crawford is a Florida Gator, Johannus Monday is a Tennessee Vol, Arthur Fery is a Stanford Cardinal and Oliver Tarvet is a San Diego Torero.
Of those, Fearnley, who has rocketed from 277 to 51 in the world since last Wimbledon, is best-placed to be the Robin to Draper’s Batman.
How will the teenage girls fare on opening day? Will the college boys graduate to the big league? Will Raducanu surprise us with another run? And above all, will Draper get the nation dreaming again? We are about to find out.
