Jack Draper continues collab with Axel Arigato with second pair of sneakers 'Rise' inspired by Wimbledon

Jack Draper has built a solid reputation on court as a top tennis player capable of challenging for the biggest titles. Away from the sport, he also has other priorities and hobbies he enjoys indulging in. A second collaboration with Swedish brand Axel Arigato is set to be released with a new pair of sneakers based on Wimbledon.

The second of a three-part trilogy, the first pair of trainers, labelled Dusk, were inspired from the clay courts of Roland Garros. These new shoes hit a lot closer to home. Having lived in London his entire life, Wimbledon is one of his home events which means a lot to him.

Always gaining a lot of attention and support, Draper has grown into the standout British player on the men's side. This time last year, he had reached a career high world number four, won the Indian Wells title while reaching another Masters 1000 final in Madrid and was consistently showing his class on court.

Injuries from then have really held him back and his presence on court has been seldom seen. Even when coming back from the arm injury that kept him out of the second half of 2026, he would pick up a knee injury in Barcelona which ended his clay swing very early. Back on grass, Draper is determined to get back to his best. Now ranked outside the top 100, he will need to find his old self to make a march up the order, starting at the Eastbourne Open before heading to Wimbledon.

This next shoe created is called Rise. Draper and Axel Arigato have put a lot of work in perfecting the sneaker for customers all around the world. It means a lot to Draper with it coming from a place close to the heart. “Wimbledon has always meant something different to me,” Draper told GQ. “It's home. The feeling of walking onto grass courts, the British summertime, when everything's fresh and full of possibility – this was the starting point for Rise. I wanted the sneaker to capture that energy. It feels great to dedicate this to my hometown.”

The trainers are made up of off-white leather and suede. Hints of green on the bottom of the shoe and laces takes a nod to the grass courts at SW19.

Draper has been someone always interested in shoes. When the chance came along to make his own, he could not turn it down. “I've always had a big interest in shoes,” he said. “Ever since I was young, I was always following the Nike collection and the Jordan 4s and always wanting to get more shoes. My mum was constantly annoyed when I'd buy more shoes.”

But there is a very special relationship with Axel Arigato. With his first pay checks coming in from tennis, he used it straight away on the luxury brand, gaining four new pairs of shoes. “I remember when I was 17 or 18 and first got introduced to Axel, I bought four pairs,” he commented. “The Dice are special to me because they were the first shoe that I ever bought from Axel.”

With assistance from creative director Jens Werner and the overall footwear team, it was a very smooth process. “Jens and the footwear team were incredible to work alongside,” he stated. “The process was very smooth and I think everyone had a great idea of what the shoe was going to be and the direction we were trying to go in.”

Making a shoe has a lot of things involved with it as they look to perfect it. Draper found that out when creating his. “There are so many moving parts to creating a shoe,” he says. “There's so many variables and so many different details that you can put on a shoe. It was amazing to add my input on them.”

The former British number one was heavily involved in the process. "The biggest challenge of all was just not changing my mind too often,” he said. “Just going with my gut or going with what the team thought was best for the shoe.”

With this just the second part of the trilogy, there is anticipation of what will be next from this relationship. “The products are all going to have a vision to them,” Draper concluded. “They're all going be unique in their own way and will stand out.”