"He didn't have the mentality": Boris Becker harsh assesment of Jack Draper’s Wimbledon dissapointment

Boris Becker offered his opinion on the biggest disappointment of Wimbledon, pointing to British No. 1 Jack Draper, who was eliminated in the second round of the tournament. Expectations were high for the 23-year-old, who, as the fourth seed and having a great season, seemed like one of the names that could threaten the favoritism of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.

Having the home-court advantage was another aspect that could provide a boost for Draper, who won his first Masters 1000 title this year in Indian Wells and later reached the final at the Madrid Open. The British player, however, ended up falling to Marin Cilic in the second round in four sets.

For many, Jack Draper was the man who could overcome Sinner and Alcaraz – who were on a hot streak after playing the French Open final. But he only managed two appearances on Centre Court at SW19 and ended the local hopes. Ultimately, it was Cam Norrie who revived British hopes, reaching the quarterfinals, repeating his feat from 2022.

In a recent episode of Boris Becker's podcast with Andrea Petkovic, they discussed the biggest disappointments of Wimbledon. The three-time Wimbledon champion did not hesitate to name Jack Draper as his biggest disappointment of the tournament. "It wasn’t even close; he lost in four sets. I think he’s realising for the first time that, at Wimbledon, as a Brit, the tournament isn’t won with the forehand or the backhand, but with mentality. There’s an expectation, you have to perform."

"He spoke as if he were admiring Andy Murray, saying he was able to win the tournament once. Yes, fine, but he did it because of his attitude, his mentality, his preparation."

Draper's early exit from the tournament cost him his place in the top 4 – being surpassed by Taylor Fritz. Nevertheless, he remains in a good position, although he will have to fight for a strong North American swing if he wants to arrive in the top 4 seeds at the US Open, where he also defends semifinals reached in 2024.