On one level, it is mission accomplished for Jack Draper at Queen’s Club this week. Of course, there is still a tournament to win, a prestigious tournament at that, especially for a British player. Rather tantalisingly, Draper remains on a final collision course with world No 2 Carlos Alcaraz. What a showdown that would be.
But around these parts, there is always one eye firmly set on the big grass court dance, five miles south, in 10 days’ time.
The surprise first-round exit of current world No 4 Taylor Fritz this week, and the non-activity of No 5 Novak Djokovic, handed No 6 Draper a golden opportunity to seal a top-four seeding for Wimbledon. With that comes an easier quarter-final at SW19 – by ranking, avoiding the likes of Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner until the semis – should he get there.
And with a patchy if not convincing 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 quarter-final victory against Brandon Nakashima on Friday, Draper has secured the points he needs to return to the world No 4 spot on Monday. The boy from Putney will be the fourth seed at the All England Club; quite the rise from No 28 last year.
Not that he’s particularly bothered. “Not really,” he said on court afterwards, when asked about whether that changes anything for Wimbledon. “I keep getting asked by the journalists about a top-four seeding... I have to get to the semis first!”
Besides the very personal dig, Draper is not an anomaly to this view. Tennis players tend not to worry too much about the potential pathways and ramifications. Much like the age-old footballer’s cliche, it’s simply “focus on the next game”. Rinse and repeat. And given Draper has never gone beyond the second round at his home slam, that will remain the case come the first week of the Wimbledon fortnight.
But it’s unquestionably an advantage if, like us in the media and fans of the sport, you like to glance a little further forward.
Of immediate concern, though, will be the big-serving game of Jiri Lehecka – who defeated British No 2 Jacob Fearnley earlier in the day – in the semi-finals on Saturday. The second seed this week at Queen’s, Draper is now just a match away from setting up an intriguing Sunday showpiece against Alcaraz, whom he beat here last year. The Spaniard came through his quarter-final against French lucky loser Arthur Rinderknech in straight sets, 7-5, 6-4, for his 16th win in a row.
Yet earlier, on a stifling but overcast afternoon in west London, Draper came out all guns blazing against fellow 23-year-old Nakashima, ranked 32 in the world, whom he beat en route to his first tour title on the grass of Stuttgart last year.
The Brit broke in the third game, courtesy of a shanked Nakashima forehand into the crowd, and staved off six break-back opportunities for the American in a tight first set, with Draper’s form ebbing and flowing sporadically.
A key trait of any top player, however, is to convert when playing under par, and Draper, despite a curious overuse of the drop shot against the speedy Nakashima, sealed the opener with an ace.
The second set was tighter. The cool-headed, unflappable Nakashima had more opportunities against serve before Draper found his mark with aplomb under pressure.
Yet just a game away from a tiebreak, the Brit’s forehand went mysteriously astray and Nakashima, to the sound of groans on the Andy Murray Arena, claimed the second as Draper went long on the backhand wing.
Nakashima’s notable robustness in the rallies – no point was given up cheaply – seemed to be sapping the life out of Draper, two days on from his final-set tie-break win against Alexei Popyrin. But, at 3-3, suddenly, a second wind.
Draper’s returns had a smidge more oomph, his body language picked up, and Nakashima could not reacclimatise quickly enough. Draper’s first break-point chance flew agonisingly wide by a few millimetres but his second was clinched brilliantly, via a trademark forehand thump down the line. Significantly, he would later say his forehand on the attack has become a shot he fully “trusts.”
Serving for the match, Draper saved two break points – one with a forehand plum on the line – and roared to the crowd for encouragement. In the end, he sealed a hard-fought victory with a volley at the net. The relief on his face was clear as day.
It is a testament to Draper’s newfound equanimity that his game – and perhaps more pertinently, his mind – hit the mark needed once more at the end of the match. It is the sort of asset which is swinging sets, and matches, in his favour. And it very much makes Draper, the fourth-best player in the world, a bona fide threat on the grass.
The Jacob Fearnley train continues at speed as British No 2 seals career-first at Queen’s
Who are the Wimbledon wildcards? Meet the 14 British hopefuls handed SW19 opportunity
Jack Draper taking nothing for granted despite ‘huge step’ into top four
Carlos Alcaraz vs Arthur Rinderknech LIVE: Queen’s tennis scores and results
The Fearnley train continues at speed as British No 2 seals career-first at Queen’s
