Is any current player capable of challenging the Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz hegemony at the summit of men’s tennis? Rick Macci, the legendary coach behind stars like Serena and Venus Williams, has placed his faith in British hope Jack Draper as a future Grand Slam champion.
Why Does Rick Macci Believe Jack Draper Is a Grand Slam Prospect?
Talking to Tennis365, Macci, who has worked with several No. 1 players, has explained why he thinks Draper will win a major.
Macci said, “(Draper) will win a Slam. There’s no doubt about it. The veteran coach went on to outline Draper’s qualities that make him stand out in the current crop of contenders.
He said, “He would be the one, if I had to say someone’s knocking on the door, ready to visit the neighbourhood (of winning a Grand Slam). And that’s because he has the size, he’s lefty, a great forehand, a wicked serve, he has improved his backhand a lot. And he’s made this rise.
“He beat Alcaraz in a tournament. So he would be the one that I would put in that category that would be knocking on the door, in that neighbourhood. Because in my book, he checks enough boxes. He’s a great competitor.”
Macci went on to underline that Draper would become an even bigger threat once he gains more experience.
“And remember, he’s kind of just sprung into this thing the last few years. I mean, he’s… even though he’s dropped a lot of people and he got in there real quick, give him a little bit more time. And we all know, when you get experience, that changes everything.”
2025 Has Been a Breakthrough Year for Draper
Draper announced his arrival in the big leagues of tennis when he made the semifinals of the 2024 US Open.
The Brit reached the fourth round of the Australian Open with three successive five-set wins before bowing out against Carlos Alcaraz due to injury. He went on to contest the ATP 500 final in Qatar, and later stunned the tennis world at Indian Wells by beating world No. 4 Taylor Fritz and No. 3 Alcaraz en route to his maiden Masters 1000 crown, defeating Holger Rune in the final.
That triumph propelled him into the top 10, and by May Draper had climbed to world No. 5, joining Andy Murray, Tim Henman, and Greg Rusedski as the only Britons to reach the top five in ATP Rankings history. At just 23 years old, he also became the youngest Briton of the Open Era to reach finals on clay, grass, and hard courts.
However, injuries continued to shadow his progress. After his opening win at the US Open, Draper withdrew and later announced that an arm injury would sideline him for the rest of 2025.
