Jack Draper will be planning to add to his sparkling clay-court season in Roland Garros, but knows it won’t be easy.
After all, this is a surface that has historically troubled him, despite having made great strides in 2025.
Reaching the final in Madrid almost seemed to shift the narrative somewhat, but until the 23-year-old has enjoyed a run in Paris, a stigma will remain. He has exited in the first round on both visits to this competition.
However, this feels like a different version of the Brit, up to fifth in the world rankings and hungry to keep on improving.
He knows his skillset and the damage he can do to his opponents, even suggesting that one trait he boasts makes his opponents wary.
Jack Draper explains what his biggest strength is in tennis
Speaking at his pre-tournament press conference in Paris, Jack Draper discussed the pros and cons of being an unorthodox left-handed player.
Causing a unique threat to the bulk of the tour, he has suggested that, because of this awkwardness, people avoid practising with him.
He claimed: ‘People get very paranoid about hitting with someone who is a lefty if they’re playing a righty. I do understand it. It’s probably not what you’re going to face.
‘My biggest strength is probably the fact that I am naturally right-handed.
‘My backhand is a shot which I’ve always been really confident on. So when right-handers go into my backhand, as well, it feels like a great shot for me,” he added. “I think I’ve got kind of the best of both worlds almost. I always say people say it’s an advantage. Still trying to figure one out, I suppose.’
Draper has rated his chances of going deep at Roland Garros recently, with optimism clearly high in his camp.
Jack Draper hoping to end 90-year British wait at Roland Garros
However unlikely, there is some hope that Draper can do the unthinkable and go all the way at the French Open.
After all, even without clay being his best surface, these unique traits that he mentions make him a threat no matter the conditions.
He will naturally face stern competition from Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev, to name just a few, but he has shown his penchant for competing with the elite in men’s tennis.
If he were to win Roland Garros and claim his first Grand Slam title, it would actually end a 90-year wait for a British champion.
The last came in 1935 when Fred Perry claimed the crown.
Andy Murray came close on a few occasions, but was thwarted by the legendary stumbling block that was the Big Three.
Draper, free from such unimaginable competition, could very conceivably translate his good form of 2025 into the ultimate silverware.
