"I think that's really bad": Mats Wilander highlights what would be Jack Draper's 'biggest enemy' at Wimbledon
ATP
Former world number one Mats Wilander has highlighted what could prove to be Jack Draper’s ‘biggest enemy’ at Wimbledon 2025. The third Grand Slam of the year will begin on Monday in London. Draper will enter the competition as Britain’s number one and number four in the ATP rankings.
The 23-year-old will begin his campaign against Argentina’s Sebastian Baez on Tuesday. Draper does not have an excellent record while playing at Wimbledon, having never advanced past the second round. Despite all of that, Wilander believes that Draper can go all the way and play the final this year.
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The 60-year-old made those comments while speaking to TNT Sports ahead of the mega-event. Wilander was of the opinion that Draper’s movement is not the best on a grass court; however, his overall gameplay makes him one of the candidates to go all the way and play in the final of the competition.
"He's not as good a grass-court player compared to someone like Carlos Alcaraz because of the movement," said Wilander while talking to TNT Sports. “I think Jack Draper is an unbelievable mover for such a big guy. He's a great athlete. I don't think that I'm necessarily expecting him to reach the semi-finals. I think he has a chance. I think he has a chance to get to the finals. But I don't know if he can win the title with Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic in the draw. I mean, you could play all three of those guys, which is pretty unbelievable. But anyway, Jack Draper has a chance to do something good, but I wouldn't be surprised. Either way, I think he's going to play a great tournament and play great individual matches."
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Wilander further highlighted the biggest challenge Draper will face during the competition, which is dealing with the hype surrounding him created by users on social media and local newspapers. Wilander believes that social media and newspapers will work as Draper’s ‘biggest enemy’ during the competition.
“I think that for Jack Draper, the social media and newspapers are going to be the biggest enemy, I think, because there's going to be a lot of stories, good ones, most probably mostly,” said Wilander. "And people are going to start trying to dig things up about Jack Draper, Jack Draper this, and Jack Draper that. So I think that's what you have to stay away from. You can have all the other stuff going on on the outside. But if you start reading papers and social media and there might be articles here and there, I think that's really bad.”
Jack Draper's road to 🏆#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/GFkHOSS18A
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 27, 2025
Azeem Siddiqui is a seasoned sports journalist and data analyst with a strong background in both digital media and live sports production.
He began his journalism career working with partners of The New York Times and has since contributed to several leading international sports publications, including Fox Sports Asia, Calciomercato, and GiveMeSport. Since 2023, Azeem has been part of the TennisUpToDate team, where he has played a key role in sustaining the platform’s growth and ensuring tennis fans receive timely and reliable coverage of the sport’s biggest stories.
In addition to his editorial work, Azeem has extensive experience as a data analyst in live sports broadcasting—particularly in cricket—where he combines analytical precision with creative storytelling. He has collaborated with multiple production companies and cricket boards worldwide, delivering real-time insights and data-driven narratives during live match coverage.
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