"I'm still quite inexperienced on grass" - Jack Draper on people assuming all British players are exceptional on that surface

Saturday, 28 June 2025 at 04:30

British tennis star Jack Draper is currently playing some of the best tennis of his career, and has been considered an underdog for the upcoming Wimbledon Championships. However, despite having favorable results this season, Draper stated he still has a lot to learn about playing on the surface.

The 23-year old reached the semifinals at the Queen's Club Championships two weeks ago, losing to rising Czech star Jiri Lehecka. Nonetheless, Draper has taken the ATP Tour by storm this season, reaching a career-high ranking of World No.4 in June.

Draper would like to get better on grass courts

The London native stated he is often taken for a grass court specialist due to him being British, a complaint that is shared by several of his compatriots on both the ATP and WTA Tours.

"I mean, yeah, I think grass is a surface that really suits my game," said Draper. "I think people had this stigma that, because I’m a British tennis player, then I must be unbelievable on grass.
"I never play on grass, it’s difficult, but I’ve had wins against them (Alcaraz and Sinner) on this surface and I feel confident. It suits my weapons. I think I’m still learning how to be most effective on this surface.
“Obviously the outdoor hard — the outdoor and indoor hard is probably the surface I’ve enjoyed the most throughout my career so far, but I’m still quite inexperienced on the grass. So I think it’ll be interesting to see how I get on next week and obviously for the rest of my career."

The Brit defeated Danish star Holger Rune in the Giorgio Armani Classic in Hurlingham this week, and now has his sights set on doing his country proud at next week's Wimbledon Championships.

Jack Draper draws recent Halle champion Alexander Bublik, who also beat him at Roland Garros, in a projected third round.

There was a loud, British sigh in the audience.#Wimbledon
— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) June 27, 2025

Arthur Ajayi

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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