"Alcaraz and Sinner have certainly separated the way": Tim Henman assesses Jack Draper's gap to the top duo

Tim Henman believes Jack Draper is still some distance from competing with Wimbledon champion Jannik Sinner and runner-up Carlos Alcaraz. The former World No. 4 lamented his compatriot's early defeat at the All England Club – after falling in the second round to Marin Cilic – but hopes he will arrive in much better form next year.

Draper has been one of the season's best players, winning his first Masters 1000 title at Indian Wells and then reaching the final at the Madrid Open. He became the first British male tennis player to reach the top 5 since Andy Murray in 2017, achieving a career-high ranking of No. 4 – precisely the same ranking Henman achieved in 2002.

There were high expectations for Draper's performance at Wimbledon this year, considering he was the fourth seed and had the home crowd as a potential advantage. For many, Draper was the name that could challenge the favoritism with which Sinner and Alcaraz entered the tournament, though he ultimately suffered a disappointing loss to veteran Cilic in the second round.

In a recent interview with Sky Sports, Henman referred to the gap that still exists between Sinner and Alcaraz – compared to the rest of the players. For the former tennis player, despite Draper's progress, he still needs to improve if he wants to rival the two best players in the world. "I don't think anyone can deny that those two, Alcaraz and Sinner, have certainly separated the way that they've dominated the Grand Slams in the last 18 months to two years,” Henman said. “But Jack has made unbelievable strides this year and has been top five in the world."

"He didn't have the best Wimbledon, but I think that's a steep learning curve to be playing at home. He's played so well on clay and hard courts and I think he needs to adapt his game a little bit on grass. And the reality is, you don't get long to play on grass.

"There are only three weeks between the French Open and Wimbledon and then Wimbledon itself. But he's got a great team around him. He would have taken many learnings away from the Championships this year and I'm sure in 12 months' time he'll be a better player and better prepared."

Draper's early exit from the tournament cost him one spot in the ATP Rankings, dropping him to No. 5. His next challenges will be in the North American swing, where he is entered for the Canadian Open and Cincinnati Open, serving as preparatory events for the year's final Grand Slam, the US Open. There, Draper reached the semifinals last year, falling precisely to Sinner – the eventual champion of that tournament.