‘Definitely’ – Tim Henman in no doubt Jack Draper is a Grand Slam champion in waiting despite surprise French Open exit

Tim Henman’s belief that Jack Draper is a Grand Slam champion in waiting has not been shaken by his French Open exit in the fourth round at the hands of Alexander Bublik.

The 23-year-old Brit took the first set but eventually came undone, as Bublik used all of his shot-making ability to complete a remarkable 5-7 6-3 6-2 6-4 triumph.

It was something of a momentum-killer for Draper, who had enjoyed a stellar clay-court season, reaching the final in Madrid and the quarters in Rome.

But having never been beyond the first round in Paris in two previous attempts, Henman was eager to focus on the positives, tipping Draper to join the British greats that have come before him and claim one of the sport’s marquee titles.

“It emphasises how far Jack’s come, because we’re all sitting here the day after, slightly disappointed that he lost in the fourth round,” Henman said on TNT Sports’ Courtside show at Roland-Garros.

“I mean, this is really the first time that he’s played properly at Roland-Garros. He’s had injuries, he’s had no experience.

“This is all part of his journey, and he’s on such a steep learning curve. He’s made so many improvements. He’s going to have many more opportunities at Roland Garros and in Grand Slams in general. And I definitely think he’s going to win one of these in the future.”

With Draper’s clay-court season now over, focus will quickly turn to grass. He claimed the ATP 250 title in Stuttgart last year in the lead-up to Wimbledon, proving he has what it takes to perform on the surface.

“There are less players that are comfortable on grass court, so onwards and upwards,” Henman added, with Chris Evert also agreeing that the future is incredibly bright for the Brit.

“He’s pole-vaulting up the rankings,” Evert stated. “He’s had a great clay-court season. I mean, he cannot be disappointed.

“And he should be excited to look forward to playing in England now, on the grass with that big serve, that big forehand, he has so much to look forward to.”

Draper’s sharp rise has been well documented. After past fitness issues and an apparent imbalance in his game, he sought to make the necessary adjustments midway through 2024 and reaped immediate rewards.

He picked up his first ATP title and didn’t have long to wait for a second, those results flanking a run to the semi-finals of the US Open.

That momentum was carried into 2025 with his first Masters 1000 victory at Indian Wells, showing he is capable of mixing it with the best of the best and coming out on top.

“He has it all.” Evert continued. “I think he’s worked hard on that, and he’s worked really hard on his fitness. And especially on the red clay, these players have to be fit, because you’re not having three or four-shot rallies. You’re having 10, 11, 12-shot rallies.

“And if you go five sets, cardio-wise, you’ve got to be really fit. So I see the difference that he’s made by being in the gym and really working on himself physically.

“He feels in the top 10. He feels like he belongs. He’s brimming with confidence. He’s not cocky or arrogant by any means, but he has that inner confidence and the belief that he belongs and that he can beat anybody.

“He’s not intimidated by anybody. That’s great to see.”