Former British number one Tim Henman has backed young Jack Draper to break into the world’s top 10 as long as he continues to focus on his preparation and performance.
Draper won his first career ATP Tour title in Stuttgart earlier this summer and then defeated Carlos Alcaraz at Queen’s Club to become the new British No. 1.
It’s a far cry from where he was 12 months ago, when he missed the entire grass-court season with a shoulder problem.
The 22-year-old southpaw has struggled with some physical ailments in the past, but is now on an upward trajectory and is ranked in the top 30 in the world.
As the U.S. Open approaches, the British media and public will see Draper as the natural replacement for Murray after the 37-year-old announced the end of his career at the Paris Olympics.
“I don’t think there’s that much pressure on Draper, but it’s important that Jack really focuses and continues to focus because it depends on his preparation and performance. He’s looking to improve different aspects of his game,” Henman told sky sports.
“He’s not trying to be the new Andy Murray. He’s trying to be Jack Draper and he’s improved a lot.
“I think it’s more of the same. He’s trending in the right direction, he’s top 30 in the world, he’s going to be seeded in New York, so I hope he can get into the top 20 and top 10 in the near future.”
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A look back at Draper’s sensational victory at the Stuttgart Open
Draper has a successful working relationship with Cameron Norrie’s former coach James Trotman and two-time Australian Open semi-finalist Wayne Ferreira.
Henman believes winning his first title in Stuttgart will play a huge role in Draper’s confidence and belief heading into the US Open, where the Brit reached the fourth round last year.
“The challenges around the tennis schedule are in the calendar, we do have four Grand Slams in about three months’ time. You’ve got Roland Garros, Wimbledon, the Olympics and now you’ve got The Olympics, so it’s very difficult to be at the top of all those events, but to win your first title on tour is a huge breakthrough,” Henman said.
“It’s great for your own personal confidence because Jack hasn’t been performing to the level he wanted to in the last few tournaments, but he can certainly try to turn that around as we go into the U.S. Open.”
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Draper says he knew his time was coming after winning his first ATP title and becoming Britain’s No. 1
Despite winning in Germany, Draper was unable to capitalize on the winning momentum and suffered early exits at Wimbledon and Montreal, but Henman is not worried about the results and believes they will come to pass over time.
The four-time Wimbledon semi-finalist said: “We’re still really learning his game and playing the biggest and best tournaments because he’s still building the foundation and the momentum.
“He was injured last year and didn’t play the full schedule, so I think just being out there and continuing to improve – sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in results and things, but if he keeps working hard and keeps working in the right areas then the results will come, Because he’s a great player.
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Draper said he was “not quite where he wanted to be” before playing in the Madrid Open earlier this year
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