"I wouldn’t be here without Andy": Jack Draper praise 'champion' Andy Murray after winning first-round clash at Wimbledon

Britain’s young tennis star Jack Draper has thanked former world number one Andy Murray for helping him become a better player. The 22-year-old secured a hard-fought win in the first round of Wimbledon 2024, where he got the better of Sweden’s Elias Ymer with a score of 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.

Draper was later quoted in a report praising Murray's impact on his career. "Thinking of the number ones that came before me—Tim [Henman], Andy [Murray], Cam [Norrie]," Draper said. Just a word on Andy. I wouldn’t be here without Andy. He is so funny, so genuine, one of a kind, and what a competitor, what a champion, and thank you very much."

Interestingly, Draper’s match on Tuesday was organized on the centre court only after it was confirmed that Murray would not take part in the mega-event. The 37-year-old was forced to withdraw from the competition after failing to recover from a back injury. He suffered the injury during the Queen’s ATP Championship, after which he underwent surgery as well.

Murray has struggled with fitness concerns throughout his career. Because of this, he announced his retirement from professional sports back in 2018. However, he managed to return to the court soon after. Earlier this year, the Glasgow-born star suffered an ankle injury that kept him out of action for two months.

Murray recently announced that he would like to retire after Wimbledon and Paris Olympics. However, with him being ruled out of the competition in London, it is not clear whether the former world number one will still follow the same path or not. The veteran tennis star is often regarded as one of the best players from Britain to have played the game in the singles category. As of now, he has lifted three Grand Slam titles in his illustrious career, the last of which came in 2016 when he won Wimbledon after beating Milos Raonic of Canada in straight sets with a score of 6–4, 7–6(7–3), 7–6(7–2).