Jack Draper has given his honest thoughts on Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s ongoing domination of the ATP Tour and how he feels it’s affecting other players.
Naturally, such overwhelming superiority could be seen as demoralising for many of the chasing pack.
Especially given how few are actually able to challenge them.
Jack Draper, particularly at the start of 2025, seemed one of the most likely candidates to join them at the apex of the sport before injury struck.
Now seemingly back healthy and ready to play again, the British number one has reassessed his position in the game in relation to the top two stars of the ATP Tour.
Jack Draper says how far away from Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner he thinks he is
Speaking to The Tennis Podcast, he was asked about how it felt to be present at a time when the men’s game is so dominated by Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
Draper admitted he was impressed by the duo, before going on to pinpoint the key differences between them: “What those guys are doing at the top of the sport, their dominance, I think has been incredible.
“I think Carlos is on six Slams, Jannik on four. I think Jannik, the last couple of years, has been incredibly consistent.
“I think Carlos, up until March this year, was playing incredibly well in all the big tournaments, but there was a bit more in terms of, is he going to win this week or is he not? For someone who is ranked number one in the world.
“Whereas with Sinner, you know he is going to do really well in the tournaments. Whereas Carlos really achieved that consistency this year and was just dominating every week as well.”
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Draper then went on to discuss how their dominance has affected the rest of the players on the ATP Tour, adding: “I think they have really put it to the players that we are here and we are here to stay and we are improving all the time because we are pushing each other to be better than one another, so not only are you guys going to have to get to our level but you are going to have to improve past that because we are constantly improving as well.
“I think I am still a long way from them, in terms of what they have achieved on the court and also their experience in the big events and playing Slam finals and all that kind of thing, but I am a big believer that anything is possible.
“I am going to focus on what I can control and getting fit, and getting to the point where I am competing week in and week out and giving myself the best chance of improving and gaining in my confidence.
“I think there is no reason why I don’t see myself competing with those guys.”
The 23-year-old also used this platform to call for change within the sport, as Draper pointed out the biggest problem he saw in tennis.
Jack Draper was building towards competing at the top in 2025
It is such a shame that the injury came when it did for Draper, who had been slowly building some rather overwhelming momentum at the start of 2025.
Kickstarting his campaign in Melbourne, a run to the Round of 16 marked a solid start to the season.
However, he would follow that up with some truly exceptional performances, reaching the final in Doha before breaking through the glass ceiling to win his maiden Masters 1000 title at Indian Wells.
Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
Beating stars like Ben Shelton, Taylor Fritz and Alcaraz on his way to that title only emphasised his ability to compete with the very best, and reaching a subsequent final in Madrid on the clay only reinforced his talents across different surfaces.
Sadly, as anticipation built ahead of his return to Wimbledon as a top-four seed, physical ailments once again re-emerged. This prohibited his play before shutting down his summer, and then eventually forced him to withdraw from the US Open.
Hopefully, he can start 2026 with the same quality he did in 2025, but remain healthy enough to truly start to challenge the likes of Alcaraz and Sinner.