Tennis coach David Felgate, who notably coached former British No.1 Tim Henman for nine years, believes 21-year-old prospect Jack Draper could dominate the sport like the ‘Big Three’ Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
Draper enjoyed an impressive 2022, winning four challenger titles, reaching his first ATP semifinal and leapfrogging Andy Murray to become the British No. 3. And Felgate believes the young star has a big future, stating he has “all the attributes needed to go right to the top of the sport”.
In an interview with Tennishead, Felgate was asked if he felt there was a player who has the potential to dominate the sport in the way Federer, Nadal and Djokovic have and replied: “Certainly… Jack Draper.
“What he has shown, his game, his abilities, his love of the sport – he ticks every box and I like the journey that he has taken, step by step and a big jump this year. He has got all the attributes needed to go right to the top of the sport.”
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Anne Keothovong, meanwhile, has also described Draper as an “unbelievable competitor”, telling Sky Sports: “With Jack, he is one of the best youngsters on the ATP tour, and he plays explosive and exciting tennis. The fact that he has improved as much as he has this past 12 months just shows what he is capable of.
“Compared to a lot of guys his age, he hasn’t actually played that much. He has had a lot of injuries and chunks of time out, but he is an unbelievable competitor and has a fantastic attitude, so I am excited to see what the next year holds for him.”
