Can Jack Draper end 90 years of hurt? Why Rafael Nadal-esque Briton is a French Open favourite on the clay of Roland-Garros
Published 25/05/2025 at 08:31 GMT+1
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Jack Draper will go into the French Open at Roland-Garros as one of the title favourites, after a year to date that has seen him crack the top 5 in the ATP rankings, and earn comparisons to Rafael Nadal. But what is behind the 23-year-old Briton's rise? We go behind the data curtain to investigate, ahead of the French Open main draw beginning on May 25, live on TNT Sports and discovery+
Jack Draper
Image credit: Getty Images
Can Jack Draper end one of Britain's longest sporting trophy droughts?
Sir Andy Murray might have ended the Wimbledon men's singles curse back in 2013, but even the legendary Scot - despite reaching the French Open final in 2016 - couldn't bring to an end the quest for a British male winner at Roland-Garros.
The wait is now up to 90 years since Fred Perry took home the Coupe des Mousquetaires in 1935, amid a glory era that saw British players in the final in three consecutive years: Perry in '35 and '36, and Bunny Austin in '37.
Since then, it's been paltry pickings, with Murray the only man to come close in his sole final appearance against Novak Djokovic nine years ago.
But Draper's form on the dirt this season suggests Britain may have reason to hope once more.
Draper's stunning 2025
Draper - who plays Mattia Bellucci in his first-round match at Roland-Garros on Monday - has been a player transformed this year, rising from 35th in the world prior to last year's French Open, to now sitting in the world's top five.
Gone are his previous physical struggles, and as a consequence, the Brit's tennis has shone through, as his tournament record compared to 2024 shows.
| Tournament | 2024 | 2025 |
| Australian Open | R64 | R16 |
| Indian Wells | R128 | Won |
| Miami | R64 | R64 |
| Monte Carlo | R64 | R16 |
| Madrid | R64 | F |
| Rome | R64 | QF |
| French Open | R128 | ? |
Thanks to these fine performances, including his first Masters 1000 title at Indian Wells, Draper enters the French Open as the fifth seed, above the likes of three-time winner Djokovic, two-time finalist Casper Ruud and former world No. 1 Daniil Medvedev.
What is behind Draper's rise on clay?
On the slower surface of clay, the serve can be less impactful, and as such, the return of serve takes on even greater importance.
Looking at Draper's numbers on clay in 2025 so far, it's clear the Brit has been working hard to improve this facet of his game.
| Metric | 2024 | 2025 | Diff. |
| 1st return in | 66% | 78% | +12% |
| 1st return speed | 66 mph | 72 mph | +6 mph |
| 1st return spin | 1691 rpm | 1993 rpm | +302 rpm |
| 2nd return in | 84% | 91% | +7% |
| 2nd return speed | 76 mph | 80 mph | +4 mph |
| 2nd return spin | 2464 rpm | 2982 rpm | +518 rpm |
Data: Tennis Data Innovations
In summary, Draper is getting his returns of serve in more often, with more speed and more spin.
This generally means he is likelier to get ahead in the rally from the off, make more inroads in his opponent's service games, and therefore create more chances to break.
There's another big development in Draper's game, too - his forehand down the line.
| Metric | 2024 | 2025 | Diff. |
| Speed | 75 mph | 79 mph | +4 mph |
| Spin | 3098 rpm | 3102 rpm | +4 rpm |
| Depth | 39% | 44% | +5% |
| Accuracy | 26% | 40% | +14% |
Data: Tennis Data Innovations
Whilst Draper's 'in %' for this shot is down 7% in 2025, the big uplift in the other metrics is giving him more chance to win points with those down-the-line shots that do land inside the lines.
And according to Tennis Viz, Draper's 'in attack' score this year is 27%, up from 22% last year, showing how much more aggressive he is being in his approach overall.
Do the Nadal similarities help?
"Being compared to Rafa [Nadal] is not right, to be honest," Draper told Eurosport ahead of Monte-Carlo.
"He's obviously an icon of the game and a 14-time Roland-Garros [winner], it's nuts.
"I definitely think being a lefty and having that loopy forehand and stuff is pretty similar, but there are definitely areas in my game I need to improve on to get to his standard."
The comparison may not be quite justified yet, but there's no doubt that Draper's game - like legendary Spaniard Nadal's - is difficult for players to counter on clay.
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Nadal and Draper, Australian Open 2023.
Image credit: Getty Images
A swinging lefty serve gets opponents out wide, typically on their backhand side, and a bludgeoning, spin-heavy forehand keeps them pinned back behind the baseline - key ingredients in the battle to find ascendancy on the dirt.
Allied to a resilient mentality over five gruelling sets that are commonplace on the clay, it's clear that Draper can employ plenty of tools to go far in Paris, whether it's this edition or in the years to come.
Consistency the key
Draper's last outing heading into Roland-Garros proved to be his quarter-final defeat to Carlos Alcaraz at the Italian Open in Rome.
Afterwards, he reflected on his displays on clay leading up to the second Grand Slam of the year.
"I've been playing some really good stuff," said Draper.
"I'm really proud of the way I've approached the clay season, especially so far. Obviously good results. Hard to keep on going. But I know that if I want to be a top, top player, I have to be consistent week in, week out.
"I'm looking forward to going to Roland-Garros because I haven't been able to play very good tennis there in the past.
"This time, hopefully it's a good opportunity for me to go and really put my game on the court and carry on with the momentum where I left off.
"Definitely after today [losing to Alcaraz], I'll be very hungry to want to show some really good stuff there."
Watch and stream the 2025 French Open live on TNT Sports and discovery+
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