By Richard Pagliaro | @TennisNow | Thursday, March 13, 2025
Picture credit score: Tony Chang/Chang Images
Southwest London is the middle of the sporting universe for 2 weeks every summer season.
Whereas Wimbledon is probably the most prestigious tennis match on the planet, a number of European nations outshine Nice Britain’s tennis tradition, says British No. 1 Jack Draper.
Chatting with the media in Indian Wells after his 7-5 6-4 win over 2022 BNP Paribas Open champion Taylor Fritz, Draper stated tennis is extra beloved by different European nations.
“I believe England, we clearly have Wimbledon. That is, you understand, one of many largest sporting occasions on the planet,” Draper stated. “I might say for 3 weeks of the yr we’re massively into tennis. I believe we’ve been extraordinarily lucky clearly to have Andy Murray and different gamers who’ve actually, you understand, proven me the best way and impressed me to be a high participant in myself.
“I might say our precise tradition for tennis is not large within the UK.”
Final September, Draper turned the fourth British man in Open Period historical past to achieve the US Open semifinals.
The 23-year-old Draper stated he hopes his era of rising British gamers, together with former US Open champion Emma Raducanu, may also help develop the sport at residence.
“Clearly different tennis nations, you understand, I believe have it higher with Italy and Spain and France,” Draper stated. “They love tennis much more than we do as a nation, however I believe, you understand, hopefully with what’s to come back with the grass and hopefully gamers like myself and Emma and different high gamers coming by that we are able to actually placed on present and encourage lots of people to play.”
