Home favorite Jack Draper will continue his hunt for a maiden Grand Slam title when he faces Croatian veteran Marin Čilić in the second round of the Wimbledon Championships on Thursday, July 3.
A win in this encounter would help him build momentum for the matches ahead.
Match Details
- Fixture: Jack Draper vs Marin Čilić
- Date: Jul. 3, 2025
- Tournament: Wimbledon 2025
- Round: Second round (Round of 64)
- Venue: London, Great Britain
- Category: Grand Slam
- Surface: Outdoor Grass
- Live telecast: Tennis Channel and ESPN (USA)/ BBC, TNT Sports, and Discovery + (UK)/ TSN and RDS (Canada)
Jack Draper vs Marin Čilić Preview
Jack Draper is in fine form and will aim to carry that momentum into his second-round clash with Čilić. The home favorite has delivered standout performances this season, including runner-up finishes at the Qatar Open and Madrid Open, and a title-winning run at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. Before the start of the grass-court swing, he also reached the quarterfinals at the Italian Open.
These performances propelled Draper into the top 5 in the ATP rankings. Despite just one lead-up event before Wimbledon, the Queen’s Club Championships, Draper left a strong impression. The home favorite defeated Jenson Brooksby, Alexei Popyrin, and Brandon Nakashima en route to the semifinals, where he fell short against Jiri Lehecka in a grueling contest.
The Brit made a strong start at Wimbledon, taking a 6-2, 6-2 lead against Sebastián Báez before the latter retired at 1-2 in the third set.
Sebastian Baez is forced to retire due to injury.
Jack Draper advances to R2 in #Wimbledon @Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/gPV8WbjyPV
— ATP Tour (@atptour) July 1, 2025
Čilić, meanwhile, had his only notable showing this season in Dubai back in February, where he reached the quarterfinals. Since then, the Croatian veteran has struggled, failing to move past the first round at any event before the 2025 Wimbledon Championships.
The 36-year-old played solely on the Challenger circuit in the lead-up to Wimbledon, recently winning a grass-court title in Nottingham. He then opened his SW19 campaign with a commanding 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 win over Raphael Collignon.
Jack Draper vs Marin Čilić Head-to-Head
Draper and Čilić have never encountered each other on tour, with their head-to-head being 0-0 at the moment.
Jack Draper vs Marin Čilić Prediction
With form and momentum behind him, Draper is well-positioned to make an impact on Thursday. His ability to combine heavy hitting from the back of the court with a strong serve and deft net skills might help him against the 36-year-old in the second round.
Čilić, while still armed with a big serve, has seen his form dip in recent months and could find it tough against Draper. With his well-rounded game, Draper might also find ways to pressure the Croat’s serve.
More: 10 Most Shocking Results From Wimbledon 2025 Day 2 ft. Coco Gauff, Alexander Zverev
However, it’s worth noting that Čilić holds a stronger win record of 71.97%, compared to Draper’s 61.9%. The Croatian also reached the Wimbledon final in 2017, where he fell to Swiss great Roger Federer.
Nonetheless, with his recent form and the backing of the home crowd, Draper may hold the edge on Thursday.
Pick: Draper to win in five sets
