"If Jack is healthy with Andy Murray, that still creates a lot of buzz in America" - Jack Draper deserved of US Open wildcard according to Rusedski with Murray partnership playing key role

Two years ago, Jack Draper reached the US Open semi-finals and broke into the top 20 on a journey that saw him reach as high as world number four. Now, there is a chance that the tournament at Flushing Meadows goes on without him with is ranking too low to guarantee a spot in the main draw. According to former British number one Greg Rusedski, Draper should be given a wildcard with him being 'too big of a talent' not to be handed one.

Draper was one of the biggest talents in the sport this time last year. He won the Indian Wells title and reached the final of the Madrid Open. His potential was there for everyone to see, but things quickly went wrong. An arm injury prevented him from competing until February 2026, and since then it has been a patchy road back.

Promising signs includes defeating Novak Djokovic in his Indian Wells title defence, losing in the quarter-final to Daniil Medvedev. His last venture on court was at the Eastbourne Open where a semi-final run showed that he was capable of competing, improving as the rounds went on.

Withdrawing from Wimbledon was a bitter blow, but now the North American hardcourt swing is back, and so is Draper. No more points to defend with the only way now up for the 24-year-old. He will take on home favourite Alex Michelsen in the opening round of the DC Open.

Referencing Craig Tiley, the CEO of the United States Tennis Association, Rusedski was confident that he would see the potential in Draper and what he offers on court. Added to that, former US Open champion Murray being alongside him can only be a positive boost.

“Craig is a smart man and you need to keep the top players happy,” he said on Off Court. "If Jack is healthy with Andy Murray, that still creates a lot of buzz in America if you have that relationship in New York.

“So if the form’s there, yes, he should get a wildcard. If the form isn’t there, then it’s a no. But I’m on the optimistic version that the form’s gonna happen and we’re gonna find out this week in Washington where he’s at."

Before the injuries, Draper was threatening to break into the upper echelons of the sport. “Don’t forget, Jack was the guy everybody was talking about to mix it up with (Carlos) Alcaraz, (Jannik) Sinner and (Novak) Djokovic and he was on the cusp of being in there," he recalled.

“He won Indian Wells and reached the finals in Madrid. And then he’s had a horrid year where he hasn’t been able to play. So the USTA will look at it because what they gotta remember is if Jack’s healthy, he’s one of the biggest names in tennis. He’s too big of a talent not to be out there. Let’s see how many weeks he can go through and hopefully he runs all the way through US Open and we don’t have to talk about injuries anymore.”

He continued to discuss the role Murray had in the camp. Both him and Draper have been lavishly praising one another with their partnership seemingly a fruitful one. “I heard the rumour was Andy’s probably gonna do ten or twelve weeks with him, even though it was only supposed to be a trial until the end of Wimbledon,” Rusedski said.

“Andy brings great experience. He’s won majors, he’s come back from injuries. He’s our best British tennis player in the open era by far. So it’s great to see Andy there with him trying to guide him through this difficult period."

Murray's praise have also been directed to what he has been seeing on the court. Most recently, Draper defeated American number one Ben Shelton 6-1 in a practice match ahead of the DC Open. “Jack looks very good in practice. It’s a question of whether the pop is there on the serve? Is he going to be able to sustain his fitness? So fingers crossed that he can start winning some matches. Health is your wealth and if he’s healthy, the combination with Murray could work out really well."

The 1997 US Open runner-up looked into the future in a realm without the Scot by Draper's side, admitting that he would need replacing. “Long term, if Andy is not there for every event, they’re probably gonna have to bring in a second coach. That’s the reality of it, if Jack ends up being able to be healthy and play back-to-back weeks and play a normal schedule. So fingers crossed for Jack. We need him back. We need him back to his best.”