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 time.
Whereas Wimbledon is probably the most prestigious tennis event on the earth, 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 feel England, we clearly have Wimbledon. That is, you understand, one of many greatest sporting occasions on the earth,” Draper stated. “I would say for 3 weeks of the 12 months we’re massively into tennis. I feel we now have 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 prime participant in myself.
“I would 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 feel have it higher with Italy and Spain and France,” Draper stated. “They love tennis much more than we do as a nation, however I feel, you understand, hopefully with what’s to return with the grass and hopefully gamers like myself and Emma and different prime gamers coming by means of that we will actually placed on a very good present and encourage lots of people to play.”
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