John McEnroe tips Jack Draper for top-10 status after US Open breakthrough: “He has a lot going for him”

John McEnroe analyzed Jack Draper's outstanding performance at the US Open, which led him to his first Grand Slam semifinals. The world No. 25 benefited from early exits by Carlos Alcaraz and Hubert Hurkacz on his side of the draw.

However, the 22-year-old reaching the semifinals is not solely due to the elimination of some of the favorites. The Brit has won 15 consecutive sets, conceding an average of just 2.4 games per set.

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His latest victory against Alex De Minaur further confirmed his excellent form as he secured his second win over a top-10 player in a Grand Slam. “Jack has had some hard luck with injuries, and he had some issues with his fitness stepping up into the big time,” John McEnroe told Eurosport.

“With Andy Murray retiring, he had to step up into that role in British tennis, and that is not easy at all,” McEnroe added. “He has benefitted from a favorable draw at this year’s US Open, but I feel like he is playing the game with a little more abandon now, and that is helping him.”

“He is using his height to his advantage, and to me, he still has a tendency to stand too far back as he has a big game and needs to use it,” the 7-time Grand Slam champion noted. “Being a lefty helps as players don’t see that too often, so he has a lot going for him.”

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“I knew he was going to be good, and one area where he has impressed me at the US Open is with his movement. That makes me think he could become a regular in the top ten of the rankings from now on,” McEnroe added. “He has already gained quite a bit at this US Open, and he has nothing to lose at this point. He just needs to push on from here.”

Recently, Draper admitted that he had questioned whether he could reach the top of tennis and consistently compete for major titles in his career: “It helps that I’ve already been in a lot of low points in my career, with injuries, setbacks, and times when I questioned if I was cut out for this sport, or if I was really good enough,” Draper said.

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“I kept on believing in myself, kept on working. Those are hard moments. This is not a hard moment compared to that,” the world No. 25 added. “This is a privilege, and it’s an honor to be in this position. This is why I work so hard, so I’ve got to keep it going in my stride. At the end of the day, I’m not afraid of being in these positions. I want to keep on doing this, and this is why I play.”