Jack Draper has officially taken over as British No 1, but Andy Murray has tipped his compatriot for much bigger honours.
Draper’s run to the Stuttgart Open final guaranteed he would move above Cameron Norrie in the ATP rankings when they were updated on Monday.
The 22-year-old toasted his milestone in style on Sunday after he defeated Matteo Berrettini in three sets to clinch a maiden ATP Tour title and close friend Murray expects more accolades to follow.
“Amazing for him to win his first tournament and for his whole team. Obviously I’m delighted for him,” Murray, speaking from Queen’s Club, reflected.
“This year has been a tricky year for him and it could have looked a whole lot different as well, a lot more positive than it has been because he’s lost a number of extremely close matches.
“You change a couple of those results and all of a sudden he’s up easily in the top 20 in the world. In my eyes, he’s definitely playing good enough to be right up there.
“I have had very little impact on Jack’s career. His team, his coaches and everyone that works with him on a day-to-day basis are the ones that have helped him do that. Also his own hard work.
“He genuinely loves the sport. He is really into it, he works really hard and I think grass is a brilliant surface for him. I think he’ll do really well over the years on the surface.
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“It’s always special to win your first title and everyone is different in terms of things that motivate them.
“Jack, I think, has bigger goals to aspire to than being British No 1. In my opinion, he can get right up to the top of the game, right to the top of the world rankings.”
Norrie, who has lost the tag of British No 1 after a poor clay-court campaign and an early exit at Nottingham last week, was full of praise for his practice partner.
“I am excited for him. I’m good friends with him, I practice with him all the time,” Norrie said.
“The last five, six years we’ve been pushing each other and obviously he’s doing something well. He is playing great.
“Yeah, I am pumped for Jack.”
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What’s coming up on Sky Sports Tennis?
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In the run-up to the third Grand Slam of 2024 – Wimbledon – you can watch all of the biggest tennis stars in action live on Sky Sports as they compete across the grass-court season.
- Berlin Open (WTA 500) – June 17-23
- Halle (ATP 500) – June 17-23
- Mallorca Championships (ATP 250) – June 23-29
- Bad Homburg (WTA 500) – June 23-29
Watch the WTA and ATP Tours throughout 2024 on Sky Sports Tennis. Stream Sky Sports Tennis and more with a NOW Sports Month Membership. No contract, cancel anytime.
Source : Sky Sports
