“To me, that is going to be a factor” — John McEnroe challenges Jack Draper to overcome one issue after French Open exit
ATP
Former world number one John McEnroe believes that ‘never
got’ to Britain’s Jack Draper in his surprising defeat at the French Open. The 23-year-old
was knocked out of the second Grand Slam of the year to Alexander Bublik with a
score of 5-7, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.
Former world number one and seven-time Grand Slam winner McEnroe,
who is currently working for TNT Sports, spoke after the match, where he
highlighted that the reigning world number five’s defeat was probably down to ‘nerves’
getting the better of him. The 66-year-old was of the opinion that dealing with
such situations would determine whether Draper has what it takes to win multiple
Grand Slams or not.
" I thought Draper would win for sure, as
I was not sure if Bublik could stick with it mentally for long enough," said
McEnroe. " It looked like the nerves got to Jack. It looked like Jack was
stressing. He has been working on that. To me, that is going to be a factor in
whether he wins multiple majors or not, to be able to handle those emotions. He
was playing well, to me, and I was surprised that he was that stressed
out."
The result would be a blow for Draper as he arrived in the competition on the back of some awe-inspiring performances in the recent past, including winning his maiden ATP 1000 title at Indian Wells and finishing as the runner-up in another ATP 1000 event, in Madrid. It was for this reason that many former and current players named him as one of the favourites to go all
the way and challenge for the title in Paris this year.
On the other hand, the result is a significant boost for Bublik, who cemented a spot in the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam for the first time in his career. The 27-year-old will now face world number one Italy’s Jannik
Sinner in the last-eight clash on Wednesday.
Azeem Siddiqui is a seasoned sports journalist and data analyst with a strong background in both digital media and live sports production.
He began his journalism career working with partners of The New York Times and has since contributed to several leading international sports publications, including Fox Sports Asia, Calciomercato, and GiveMeSport. Since 2023, Azeem has been part of the TennisUpToDate team, where he has played a key role in sustaining the platform’s growth and ensuring tennis fans receive timely and reliable coverage of the sport’s biggest stories.
In addition to his editorial work, Azeem has extensive experience as a data analyst in live sports broadcasting—particularly in cricket—where he combines analytical precision with creative storytelling. He has collaborated with multiple production companies and cricket boards worldwide, delivering real-time insights and data-driven narratives during live match coverage.
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