Former Grand Slam champion Juan Martín del Potro has voiced strong confidence in Britain’s rising star Jack Draper, suggesting that the young left‑hander has the talent to challenge the likes of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. However, del Potro cautioned that Draper must first secure "confidence in his body" before he can consistently compete at the very highest level. Del Potro, the 2009 US Open winner and former world No.
3, knows all too well how injuries can derail a promising career. His own journey was repeatedly interrupted by wrist and knee problems, ultimately forcing his retirement in 2022. Drawing on that personal experience, he emphasized that Draper’s biggest hurdle is not a lack of skill but the physical reliability required to endure the grueling demands of the modern tour.
Draper, currently ranked No. 28, has already shown flashes of brilliance. After a six‑month lay‑off caused by a bone‑stress injury in his left arm, he returned in February and immediately made an impact.
He upset Novak Djokovic during his title defence at Indian Wells, propelling himself into the quarter‑finals and earning widespread admiration for his composure against the seasoned champion. Yet the momentum was halted at the Miami Open, where he suffered a straight‑sets defeat to Reilly Opelka.
The British youngster’s season has been a roller‑coaster of highs and setbacks. He missed the Monte‑Carlo Masters, retired in the deciding set of his Barcelona Open match against Tomas Martin Etcheverry, and subsequently withdrew from the Mutua Madrid Open with a knee injury. These incidents underline del Potro’s point: even the most gifted players can be sidelined if their bodies fail to respond to the relentless schedule of weekly tournaments.
"As a left‑hander, he already has a natural advantage over many opponents," del Potro explained, recalling his own Olympic final loss to Andy Murray in 2016. "Draper possesses the raw tennis ability, but sometimes the body becomes the biggest obstacle in a career. He is working hard to regain trust in his own physical limits." Beyond the physical, Draper has also grappled with mental challenges. He has spoken openly about anxiety on court, bouts of nausea, and the psychological strain that accompanies repeated injuries to his hip, knee and arm.
These factors compound the difficulty of maintaining a high level of play, especially on the demanding clay courts of the European swing. Looking ahead, Draper hopes to return to Madrid, where a year earlier he reached his first ATP Masters 1000 final on clay, ultimately falling to Casper Ruud in three tightly contested sets. That run demonstrated his capacity to adapt to the slower surface and to construct points with patience and precision—qualities essential for success on red dirt.
Del Potro reflected on his own career, noting that injuries were the most painful chapter. Nicknamed "The Tower of Tandil," he said, "I spent many years battling physical setbacks, yet I still chose to face the Big Three—Federer, Nadal and Djokovic—every week.
Injuries are part of the sport, and an athlete must accept that they can appear at any moment." He stressed the importance of a comprehensive support team: a dedicated coach, a physical trainer, a physiotherapist, and a mental‑health specialist. "When the bad moments arrive, the quicker you can recover, the better you will perform," he added, underscoring the holistic approach required for modern tennis professionals. British tennis, according to del Potro, is in capable hands. Alongside Draper, compatriots such as Cameron Norrie and Katie Boulter are also making strides.
Norrie has posted solid results, including a quarter‑final appearance at Indian Wells and a third‑round run at the Australian Open. Boulter entered the Madrid Open main draw after Emma Raducanu and Sonay Kartal withdrew due to illness and injury, respectively.
The upcoming Madrid Open, scheduled from 21 April to 3 May, will showcase both men’s and women’s competitions, with day sessions beginning at 9 a.m. and night sessions at 5:30 p.m. Notably, a temporary clay court will be installed at Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu Stadium from 23‑30 April, allowing players to practice on conditions that mimic the main venue, La Caja Mágica.
For fans, the tournament will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Tennis, with additional streaming options via NOW and the Sky Sports app, promising more than 50 percent extra live sport coverage at no extra cost for subscribers. In summary, del Potro’s message to Draper is clear: the talent is there, the mindset is developing, but the body must become a reliable partner. If Draper can achieve that balance, he will not only compete with Sinner and Alcaraz but potentially join the elite tier of men’s tennis in the years to come.