Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper: Fans Choose a New British Favourite Amid Close Bond
Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper are two of Britain’s brightest young tennis stars, but it’s Draper who has captured the spotlight lately. After a remarkable run at Indian Wells, where he defeated four top-15 players and claimed the biggest title of his career, Draper has surged into the ATP top 10 with a career-high ranking of No. 6.
His triumph in California adds to titles from Stuttgart and Vienna, and a Grand Slam semi-final appearance at the 2024 US Open. Despite Raducanu’s historic 2021 US Open win, Draper is now viewed by many as the UK’s top singles player. A recent Express Sport poll saw 85% of fans naming Draper the most successful active British tennis player, with Raducanu receiving just 6%.
Raducanu, who reached world No. 10 in 2022, has struggled to replicate her US Open breakthrough. She recently made her first WTA 1000 quarter-final in Miami but has since stepped away from competition to focus on her physical health, withdrawing from the Billie Jean King Cup and WTA Rouen.
Off the court, Draper and Raducanu have long shared a close friendship, with past romantic speculation around them. Draper, however, told The Times his priority remains tennis. “I’ve been lucky to have a couple of amazing connections,” he said, emphasizing the importance of values and ambition in relationships. “Right now, becoming the best tennis player I can be is the most important thing to me.”
The 23-year-old has also expressed admiration for Raducanu’s meteoric rise. “What Emma did was incredibly inspiring,” he said. “I’ve known her since we were young, and watching her win the US Open was a fairytale. It definitely fuelled my fire.”
Draper returned to action after Indian Wells with a first-round loss to eventual Miami Open champion Jakub Mensik, who later defeated Novak Djokovic in the final. At Monte Carlo, Draper beat Marcos Giron before falling in a tight three-set match against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
He is currently preparing for the Madrid Open alongside world No. 2 Jannik Sinner. It remains to be seen if Raducanu will join the tournament or continue her training block.
