Jack Draper could cause 'upset' at French Open, according to Mats Wilander who is backing British No.1 for success at Roland-Garros
By Lewis Mason
Updated 23/05/2025 at 12:07 GMT+1
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Jack Draper has enjoyed a positive start to the clay-court season, with impressive performances in Madrid and Rome as he aims to go the furthest he ever has at the French Open. The British no.1 is yet to get past the first round at Roland-Garros but TNT Sports expert Mats Wilander thinks his form and attitude suggests he could cause an upset in Paris.
Jack Draper
Image credit: Getty Images
TNT Sports tennis expert Mats Wilander thinks there is a "very high" chance that Jack Draper could cause a big upset at the French Open.
The British No.1 enjoyed a positive start to the clay-court season as he reached the final of the Madrid Open and quarter-finals of the Italian Open.
Despite eventually losing to Casper Ruud and Carlos Alcaraz respectively at those tournaments, Draper gathered some important momentum on the surface ahead of competing at Roland-Garros.
Speaking about his chances to go far in Paris, Wilander said: "Jack Draper has an exceptionally good attitude. He looks really, really strong.Â
"Of course, we have to remember that he won at Indian Wells. Yes, that was on a hard court, but it plays like a clay court and then he did well in Madrid, which is very similar conditions.Â
"At Roland-Garros, if the conditions are dry and fast, then Jack Draper is going to be extremely dangerous. Can he win the tournament? He most probably believes he can himself.
"I put him at sixth or seventh [favourite] in terms of winning the tournament. But in terms of an upset, I put Jack Draper very high because he's the left-hander with a big serve, and that's very unusual these days in the men's game. So watch out for Jack Draper," he said.
Draper is yet to enjoy success on the orange dirt at Roland-Garros after crashing out in the first round for two successive years.
He retired injured in 2023 against Tomas Martin Etcheverry, before losing a five-set battle against Dutch qualifier Jesper de Jong last year.
Asked if Draper’s aggressive approach to matches could be his downfall for a third straight year in the French capital, Wilander refuted this idea and told TNT Sports that it will be quite the opposite.
"Physically, I think he will be okay. I think that he has to play that way because he cannot play defence. He's not as good defensively as someone like Carlos Alcaraz or Alexander Zverev. Jannik Sinner is also exceptional in defence. I think Jack Draper is not quite as good.
"You’ve got to take the ball early, and you have to hope that you physically really can handle it, because if you don't take the ball early and if you don't try to dictate the point, you're not going to be beating these guys anymore.Â
"You cannot play defence to win, especially at Roland-Garros, where you most probably have to be the most aggressive of any of the tournaments these days.
"Roland-Garros is where you have to be the one that dictates, because if you're defending, you're going to be running many, many, many kilometres and you're not winning the tournament," he said.
There are a number of side-stories ahead of the French Open, with world No.1 Sinner back on court following his three-month doping ban and Novak Djokovic resuming his bid for a 25th grand slam title.
Add to that Alcaraz’s boost of form in the build-up and Zverev, Ruud and Taylor Fritz all hoping to impose themselves on the tournament, and it is quite the line-up.
Wilander does not think Draper will be fazed by the challenge ahead of him and thinks his opponents will be looking at him as just as much of a rival.
"I think he's smart enough where he understands that he needs to improve certain things if he wants to be at the top of the game. That's the feeling I get from him.
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"So, I think he's going to be the dangerous left-hander - together with Ben Shelton - that nobody wants to play on any surface at any time because you don't really know how good they're going to serve that day. Because if they serve great, it's a very, very long day for their opponents," he said.
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