Jack Draper and Taylor Fritz are – remarkably – set to face each other in the first round of Wimbledon on Monday.
One would never expect two players of such high quality to play each other so early in a Grand Slam event.
However, Draper has fallen to world number 160 following numerous injury issues – most recently a knee injury that kept him on sidelines for two months.
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Consequently, there was every chance that Draper would draw a seeded player in the Wimbledon first round.
Draper is certainly the underdog heading into Monday’s match. Fritz is an excellent grass-court player, while Draper has never advanced past the second round of Wimbledon.
However, the British star should take great confidence heading into his clash with Fritz after performing superbly against the American in the past.
Jack Draper won his last match against Taylor Fritz
At the 2025 Indian Wells Masters, Jack Draper and Taylor Fritz faced each other the quarter-finals.
Draper emerged victorious, winning 7-5, 6-4 in California.
It was Draper’s second consecutive triumph against Fritz, following victory over the American at the 2024 Paris Masters.
Draper also improved his head-to-head record against Fritz to 3-2.
“It’s the first time I think I have played against someone like Taylor and felt like I dominated the match,” Draper told BBC Sport after the match.
“I want to play against the best players in the world so I can show what I’m all about.
Where will Jack Draper be ranked by the end of 2026?
“I believe I can beat anyone and play some great tennis. It’s just about doing it more and more, which will give me more belief.”
Draper went on to win his first Masters 1000 title, beating Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune without dropping a set.
“I said at the end of last year I wanted to be competing with the likes of Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and all the players who are competing for big titles,” Draper said after beating Rune 6-2, 6-2 in the final
“It’s one thing saying it but it’s another thing doing it. To back up six matches here at the highest level against tough opponents is something I’ve been working hard to be able to achieve.”
Jack Draper and Taylor Fritz’s first match on the ATP Tour
Draper and Fritz first contested an ATP match at the 2022 Queen’s Club Championships.
Draper again emerged victorious, beating Fritz 6-3, 6-2 on the grass courts.
| Tournament | Winner | Score |
| 2025 Indian Wells | Jack Draper | 7-5 6-4 |
| 2024 Paris Masters | Jack Draper | 7-6 4-6 6-4 |
| 2024 Paris Olympics | Taylor Fritz | 6-7 6-3 6-2 |
| 2024 Munich | Taylor Fritz | 4-6 6-3 7-6 |
| 2022 Queen’s | Jack Draper | 6-3 6-2 |
It was the biggest win of Draper’s career to date: the 20-year-old had defeated the world number 14.
“Thank you all for the support. I enjoyed my time out here,” Draper said after securing his first top-20 win.
“I think since the start of my career, I haven’t played in front of this many people that often, so the experiences I had last year helped me today. The nerves are still there but I am glad with how I played today.”
Draper was defeated in the next round by Finnish qualifier Emil Ruusuvuori.
