"I think we have been extremely fortunate to have Andy" - Jack Draper on Murray's influence on British tennis
ATP
Rising tennis star Jack Draper may be playing some of the best tennis of his career at the moment, but the British phenom has no problem giving credit to his compatriots who helped paved the way.
Draper has looked devastating during his run at the 2025 Indian Wells tournament, as he defeated Brazilian wonderkid Joao Fonseca in a 6-4 6-0 opening round encounter. The Sutton native would go on to upset third seed Taylor Fritz in the round of 16, recording a 7-5 6-4 win over the World No.4.
Tennis would not be as popular in the UK without Murray, says Draper
Following his victory over Fritz, Draper was asked about the benefits of coming from a country that was rich in tennis culture. The 23-year old was quick to acknowledge retired countryman Andy Murray, and the effect the three-time Grand Slam champion had on the entire nation.
"Yeah, I mean, I think England, we obviously have Wimbledon," began Draper. "That's, you know, one of the biggest sporting events in the world. I'd say for three weeks of the year we are massively into tennis. I think we have been extremely fortunate obviously to have Andy Murray and other players who have really, you know, shown me the way and inspired me to be a top player in myself.
"I'd say our actual culture for tennis isn't huge in the UK. Obviously other tennis nations, you know, I think have it better with Italy and Spain and France. They love tennis a lot more than we do as a nation, but I think, you know, hopefully with what's to come with the grass and hopefully players like myself and Emma and other top players coming through that we can really put on a good show and inspire a lot of people to play."
"I'd say our actual culture for tennis isn't huge in the UK. Obviously other tennis nations, you know, I think have it better with Italy and Spain and France. They love tennis a lot more than we do as a nation, but I think, you know, hopefully with what's to come with the grass and hopefully players like myself and Emma and other top players coming through that we can really put on a good show and inspire a lot of people to play."
Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.
As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.
With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.
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