NO sooner had Andy Murray withdrawn from the singles event at Wimbledon, Jack Draper was bumped up to Centre Court.
What followed was an epic five-set marathon against Swede Elias Ymer worthy of the Scottish tennis legend.
It was a clear changing of the guard at SW19 and a message that Draper is Britain’s next great hope.
The handsome 22-year-old will face off against Cameron Norrie next, who he took the crown of British No1 from last month.
Away from the court, the clamour for the strapping Draper, who stands at 6ft4in, is just as fierce.
Last month, he appeared in glam photoshoots for fashion bibles Vogue and Tatler.
In the former, he confessed his love for being in front of the camera, while discussing his blossoming modelling career, in which he is signed to the world renowned agency IMG.
Draper has come a long way from the Surrey village of Ashtead.
With bouffant hair, designer stubble, a fixed gaze and his slender figure hugged by Louis Vuitton wear, Draper looked the part in Vogue’s July issue.
He confessed to the magazine: “I quite enjoy being in front of the camera.” He added: “If I’m looking good, that is.”
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Which is exactly how the talent scouts at IMG saw it, signing him up on a separate modelling contract.
But Draper understands fashion, and he’s not afraid to change up his look.
It could certainly make him the poster boy of tennis in years to come.
Speaking about his haircuts, he said: “I’ve done a buzzcut, mohawk, mullet…”
With an estimated wealth already of around £2.3million, thanks to prize money and deals with Dunlop, Nike and Vodafone, he’s also sure to be big business too.
Brands have taken note of his pulling on social media.
His Instagram account is gathering traction, and features plenty of photos that will have a female audience swooning.
While on TikTok, #JackDraper videos have been watched over 200,000 times.
Aside from his obvious good looks, Draper poses plenty of talent on the court.
He is now up to 28 in the world, a career high ranking.
Draper first showed signs of an ability at tennis aged just one, when he hit a ball against the garage door of his home.
It was his grandmother’s influence who inspired him to pick up a racket.
Brenda, a former tennis coach and player, is unfortunately now battling Alzeheimer’s.
Heartbreakingly, she isn’t aware that the seed she planted is now blossoming into such a success.
By three he began tennis coaching with his mum’s toddler group at Sutton Tennis and Squash Club.
Then at five he was being coached by Justin Sherring at Weybridge Tennis Academy at Parkside School twice a week.
Draper then moved to the posh boarding school Reed’s in Cobham, where Tim Henman was also a pupil.
They famously offered scholarships after a physical test: to run until you dropped.
It was that early grounding that has served him well so far in life.
Draper comes from good stock.
His dad Roger is a former chief executive of Sport England and the Lawn Tennis Association.
Mum Nicky is a a former junior British Tennis Champion.
Together, they manage their son’s progress carefully.
She monitors his accounts, while brother Ben – his very own doppelganger – is his manager.
“It’s really nice to have people who you love – and you know they have your back at every turn – around you on a day-to-day basis,” Jack told BBC Sport.
“That’s what keeps the feet on the ground, that’s what keeps you motivated and ultimately keeps you sane in the sport.”
PRIZE MONEY for the 2024 Wimbledon Championships is a new record – and puts the grass-court Slam at the top of the tree.
The All England Club will dish out £50million across all the events – an increase of £5.3m and 11.9 per cent on last year, where singles champions Carlos Alcaraz and Marketa Vondrousova picked up £2.35m each.
However, the king and queen of grass this July will collect an extra £350,000 – taking the winner’s earnings to £2.7m.
Here is the breakdown for the 2024 Wimbledon singles prize money:
He added: “Part of the reason I’ve got to this stage is that I’ve been fortunate enough to have an older brother I was able to hit with and compete against – have that sibling rivalry.
“I remember when we were younger the only time we played against each other, he beat me and that just killed me, even though he’s four years older than me.”
Unusually, Draper plays left-handed even though he is naturally right-handed.
This gives him the chance to play a backhand like a second forehand.
Back in June, Draper beat Matteo Berrettini at the 2024 BOSS Open in Stuttgart to lift his maiden title.
A week later, he shocked the Queen’s Club by eliminating the reigning Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz.
That prompted the young Spaniard to call Draper a “contender” at SW19.
Standing in his way of progress, though, is Norrie who reached the semi-finals in 2022.
Off the court, the British stars, including Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter, share a strong friendship.
“It’s nice to have a camaraderie among the players and constantly push each other to be better,” he told Vogue.
Expect that fondness to be pushed to the limits when he and Norrie meet in the third round on Thursday.
