Jack Draper must learn to play with a target on his back as Wimbledon looms
Alexander Bublik reacted to the most significant victory of his career by collapsing onto the Parisian soil with his arms aloft, his face transmitting both joy and disbelief. Although his jubilation was an apt reaction to finally breaking new ground by reaching his first grand slam quarter-final at Roland Garros, it also said much about his beaten opponent across the net.
Jack Draper's rise over the past 12 months has been one of the most significant developments on the ATP Tour. As he has established himself as one of the best players in the world and earned respect within the locker room, the target on his back has grown accordingly. Now ranked No 5, Draper is one of the elite opponents that other players look to measure themselves against. When they face him, they will try to swing freely and use the occasion to take their games to levels they normally cannot sustain. As was the case with Bublik, this will sometimes work.
One of the great challenges of being a top player is learning how to hold off the bloodthirsty masses, to find a way through tough matches by making life difficult for those opponents and seizing the most important points. Draper is still new to these situations; this is his second grand slam tournament as a top 20 player and his first inside the top five. A year ago, he could barely trust his body in matches over five sets. Facing more of these experiences will teach him how to overcome them.
Despite his own disappointment, Draper ends his clay season having made transformative progress on the surface, which he previously had minimal experience on. Less than two months ago, in his third round defeat to Alejandro Davidovich Fokina the Monte Carlo Masters, the British No 1 was still struggling badly with his movement on the surface and his confidence was shot. His growth since then is reflected in his results as he reached his first clay-court final at the Madrid Open, a Masters 1000 event, before following it up with a quarter-final in Rome. He arrived in Paris seeking his first match win at Roland Garros and finished the tournament in the second week. He could still reach a new career high world ranking of No 4 on Monday.
While some players tend to handle defeats better with age, Draper says that his losses are more painful now than ever before. Now that he knows what he is capable of, falling short of his lofty goals hurts even more. On Monday night, in the hours after his defeat to Bublik, he looked utterly crushed. Not only did he miss a big opportunity to build a deeper run in Paris, Draper squandered the chance to test himself against Jannik Sinner, the best player in the world, in the quarter-finals.
One of Draper's most admirable qualities, however, is the perspective he maintains in difficult moments. Even as he processed a crushing defeat, he was still able to recognise how it could propel him forward. Since he has arrived on the professional circuit, navigating physical issues, anxiety and doubt, few things have come easily for him. This is no different.
'It's a really, really tough loss to take for me,' he said. 'My journey, even though I've come up quickly this year, I've got myself to a high ranking, it's always been a steep learning curve for me. There's always been a lot of adversity, a lot of injuries, a lot of setbacks. This is another one of those tough matches. I'll learn from it and I'll get better, and I'll use it to my advantage.'
In a few days, once Draper has finished stewing over this loss, he will shift his sights on the coming storm. Until now, he has had the benefit of developing his game and building his career in the shadows. While British athletes are often burdened by hype and expectations, Draper is still somewhat under the radar. He has earned immense respect within the tennis world, and there is a consensus that he is a genuine contender at the biggest events, but his profile at home still does not match his growing list of achievements.
This will surely change when he heads to Wimbledon as one of the best players in the world and on grass, a surface that perfectly suits his game, he will be a top contender. This will be Draper's first experience of the attention and scrutiny that comes with his new lofty status. How he handles those challenges on his homecoming will be fascinating and instructive.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
31 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Revealed: Why Imane Khelif is set to KEEP Olympic boxing gold medal, despite calls for title to be stripped after 'leaked medical report proving champion is a biological male'
A legal expert has revealed why Imane Khelif is unlikely to be stripped of her Olympic gold medal despite the emergence of a 'leaked' medical report. The alleged medical test on Khelif at the 2023 World Championships claimed that the boxer was in fact 'biologically male' and comes less than two days after World Boxing ruled Khelif would need to undergo sex screening to be eligible for any future appearances in female events. Last summer, Khelif was deemed eligible to compete in France despite World Boxing having known about the test, with IOC president Thomas Bach previously questioning the test's legitimacy. Despite the controversy surrounding Khelif, the 26-year-old went on to win a women's boxing gold medal representing Algeria boxing at the Paris Games. However, since the emergence of the reports about the 'leaked' medical report, critics have stepped forward and called for Khelif to be stripped of the medal. Now, a legal expert has revealed why that will not be the outcome and why Khelif will, instead, be allowed to keep the medal from Paris. Speaking to Newsweek, Doraine Lambelet Coleman, a Thomas L. Perkins Distinguished Professor of Laws at Duke Law School, explained: 'The IOC would not revoke medals won by athletes who were eligible according to the rules it set for the boxing competition in Paris. 'Unlike the eligibility rules set by the IBA and now WB, those rules did not require competitors to be biologically female.' One of those who called for Khelif to have the medal taken away was former Team GB star Sharron Davies who, during an interview with GB News, claimed: 'The truth was always there'. She explained: 'We all knew that this person had two positive sex screening tests. And the people that are to blame for all of this are the IOC. 'If you look back to those press conferences during the Olympic Games last summer, the things that Thomas Bach was saying are never excusable. They allowed male on female violence for the whole world to watch. 'The fact that they turned around and said that those tests that they had been informed about, a year prior, were not legitimate - when they were performed and accredited by the US College of Pathology. 'When people ask, do I have sympathy? No I don't because Khelif knew that they were biologically male. They knew they were cheating. 'They knew they had an unfair advantage and nobody cared. They didn't care what damage they might have inflicted on a female'. Davies also highlighted the moment which she believes proved that Khelif and her team 'knew' she was biologically male. During the interview, she said: 'All of that which you saw at the Olympic Games in Paris last year was an utter lie. 'You only had to see the pictures of Khelif up on the shoulders of their coaches afterwards to know this is not somebody they are treating as a female because they wouldn't have done that. 'Everyone knew and yet we were being lambasted. The people that were saying 'This is not fair and most importantly it's incredibly dangerous'. That's what - above and beyond everything - was criminal negligence, I think'. Khelif grew up in the northwestern rural town of Biban Mesbah in the Tiaret province of Algeria and was raised as a devout Muslim. In Islam it is forbidden for a believer to touch a member of the opposite sex that they are not related to. In a similar instance on Saturday night, UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov - who is also a devout Muslim - refused to shake the hand of female TV presenter Kate Scott at the UEFA Champions League. In a similar response to the news, JK Rowling branded the news 'a win for women'. The document seen by 3 Wire Sports via Telegraph Sport, states: 'Chromosome analysis reveals male karyotype.' Rowling, who has weighed in heavy on the debate in the past, has taken to social media to give her view on the news. 'It's a win for women because they won't be battered to death in the ring by men,' wrote the Harry Potter series author. 'If you had any idea what physical tests women go through routinely in their lives you'd know a cheek swab is no bigger deal than flossing your teeth. Any more moronic questions, wing them over.' Broadcaster Piers Morgan was among the first to respond to reports of the test, writing on social media site X: 'The biology-denying woke brigade abused and shamed me for saying it was outrageous and dangerous for Khelif to be beating up women at the Olympics. 'I'm ready for their apology, but won't hold my breath.' Former Olympian Sharron Davies was similarly convinced by the report, writing: 'When did we stop believing in our eyes & gut! Oh yeah when we decided women's sport didn't matter…' Conservative activist Riley Gaines also weighed in, referring to Khelif with male pronouns and saying: 'To all the people that insisted Imane Khelif was a woman because his passport said so, 'You were wrong. We were right. Sincerely, People with functioning eyes and a shred of honesty.' The results reportedly have a date of being collected of March 17, 2023 - the same year that Khelif was disqualified by the International Boxing Association (IBA), the former governing body for the sport for 'failing gender eligibility tests'. It's a win for women because they won't be battered to death in the ring by men. If you had any idea what physical tests women go through routinely in their lives you'd know a cheek swab is no bigger deal than flossing your teeth. Any more moronic questions, wing them over. — J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 2, 2025 The document claims to have come from Dr Lal PathLabs in New Delhi, a laboratory which is accredited by the American College of Pathologists and certified by the International Organisation for Standardisation. The report was initially published by the journalist Alan Abrahamson, who first brought reports of Khelif's alleged failed gender eligibility test to public attention at the Paris Games. Mail Sport has contacted Khelif's representatives for comment. Khelief has previously stated that she planned to defend her gold medal at the Los Angeles Olympics in three years time. World Boxing does have some Olympic authority, as they have been announced to provisionally run testing for the Los Angeles games, with any person over 18 required to undergo PCR testing to determine their sex. The governing body said the PCR test is a laboratory technique used to detect specific genetic material, with the SRY gene revealing the presence of the Y chromosome, which is an indicator of biological sex. The test can be conducted by nasal/mouth swab, saliva or blood. The governing body said the testing will be part of a new policy on 'Sex, Age and Weight', which it claims will ensure a safe and competitive playing field. World Boxing revealed the contents of a letter sent to the Algerian Boxing Federation, confirming Khelif is unable to compete in the female category at the Eindhoven Box Cup or any World Boxing event until she undergoes sex testing. 'Imane Khelif may not participate in the female category at the Eindhoven Box Cup, 5-10 June 2025 and any World Boxing event until Imane Khelif undergoes genetic sex screening in accordance with World Boxing's rules and testing procedures,' the letter read. 'In accordance with the World Boxing Statutes, amendments to the Competition Rules are typically made by Congress. However, under special or emergency circumstances, the World Boxing Executive Board holds the authority to make immediate amendments when a rule is deemed no longer functional or when evolving conditions necessitate a change. 'In May 2025, the Executive Board exercised this authority and adopted new eligibility criteria for participation in sex-specific boxing categories. These new eligibility rules were developed with the express purpose of safeguarding athletes in combat sports, particularly given the physical risks associated with Olympic-style boxing. 'Please be advised that, per World Boxing policy, '…in the event the athlete's sex certification is challenged by the athlete's federation or by World Boxing, the athlete shall be ineligible to compete until the dispute is resolved…' Khelif was not the only controversial boxer in Paris, as Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting also won a gold medal in women's boxing despite having been banned by the IBA in 2023. Morgan previously weighed in on Khelif's alleged gender ineligibility in November, when a 'leaked' report published in German outlet Bild claimed that she was a 'biological male'. He posted to his 8.8m followers at the time: 'Confirmation of what some of us said at the time: Khelif is a biological man. The gold medal should now be stripped and awarded to the best actual woman.' It remains unclear whether the report was legitimate, with Algerian Olympic Committee calling out 'unsubstantiated allegations (which aimed) to tarnish the image of an athlete who has brought honor to our nation on the international stage.' Piers Morgan, Sharron Davies, and Riley Gaines were all quick to weigh in on the alleged results The report was initially put together in 2023 via collaboration between French and Algerian expert endocrinologists working at the Kremlin-Bicetre hospital in Paris, and the Mohamed Lamine Debaghine hospital in Algiers. The unverified report alleges that Khelif has male characteristics. But Jacques Young, an endocrinologist at Bicetre Hospital in Paris who reportedly co-authored the document, has told DW in Germany that he feels his name is being used to spread false information. Young also hinted he had been used to disseminate an anti-trans agenda. 'I think your statement perfectly reflects reality,' when he was asked whether his name was being used for those purposes.
Telegraph
36 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Ed Miliband is laying a trap for Nigel Farage
If Reform UK wins the next election, scrapping net zero is first on their list of policies. Party leader Nigel Farage believes the move could save tens of billions over the next parliament, freeing up funds for tax breaks and benefits boosts. Labour's Ed Miliband, on the other hand, appears to be building his platform on preventing this coming to pass. If Labour can block Reform by triumphing at the ballot box, that's all well and good. If it can't, then there are other tools. As the New Statesman has noted, Miliband's newfound enthusiasm for community wind projects may partly be an attempt to 'future-proof' net zero, pushing things through today that will be tricky to unwind tomorrow. Underhand, possibly, but potentially effective. And it's an approach we could well see expand to other elements of the policy in the near future. Reform's targeted savings from the transition to net zero are already under fire. While the party believes it's possible to save £225bn over the next parliament, the Institute for Government (whose report the figures are partly based on) has argued that some of this sum constitutes private sector spending. Just as important, however, is the question of how much of it will be easily cut. Depending on which analysis you follow, spending over the rest of this parliament could average somewhere between £13bn and £19bn per year, with the latest Climate Change Committee Carbon Budget suggesting that anywhere between £6bn and £23bn of public funding could be needed in 2035. Over the period to 2050, one Office for Budget Responsibility report (now a little old) estimated the net cost at £344bn to the public sector, with the downside risk at £553bn. These are large sums. The upper end – £22bn or so each year – would be enough to fund the reversal of the winter fuel payments cuts (£1.65bn per year), raise the personal allowance by £1,250 (£11.1bn), scrap the two-child benefit cap (£3.4bn) and add another 0.2pc of GDP onto the defence budget – covering almost half the gap between Labour's distant 3pc ambition and the mooted Nato 3.5pc target. It's also the case that these sums could be underestimated. The Climate Change Committee's analysis shows net zero coming in at a net annual cost of 0.2pc of GDP per year over the next quarter century, or roughly £4bn per year, with the costs front-loaded and net savings towards 2050. But underlying these figures are some very optimistic assumed cost curves for the future price of electricity capacity, including a forecast for offshore wind unit costs to fall by 39pc over the next 25 years. Now, this might happen. But it's worth noting that the UK's 2023 auction round for renewable energy projects resulted in no bids at all for offshore wind. These auctions award 'contracts for difference', which pay producers a set rate per unit of electricity produced. If the market rate is below that price, the producer receives a subsidy. If it's above it, then they pay the difference back. Barring a period between 2021 and 2023 when gas prices spiked over tensions and then outright war in Ukraine, these payments have tended to be large and positive: producers receive above-market-rate prices. Despite this, offshore wind was a no-go. In the subsequent auction round, the Government raised the maximum price on offer by 66pc, with the eventual contracts awarded coming in at 58pc above the previous record low. Even this wasn't quite enough. Ørsted's Hornsea 4 project won its funding in that round in September 2024. By March this year, it had been discontinued on the grounds of 'adverse developments relating to continued increase of supply chain costs, higher interest rates and an increase in the risk to construct and operate Hornsea 4 on the planned timeline'. Poof! 2.4 gigawatts (GW) of planned capacity vanished into the ether, just as the plan is to boost it from 15GW to 88GW by 2040. It's a neat illustration of one of net zero's risks. If other technologies also stall out on cost reductions, if delays to projects push the mooted benefits further back into the future, if higher interest rates raise the cost of capital, or if the costs of projects slip in typical fashion, then the costs of the transition could rise further still. And that uncertainty makes scrapping net zero even more appealing for Reform. A policy which they believe will cut energy bills – contracts for difference, the renewables obligation feed-in tariffs and the guarantee of origin system have added £280 to annual household costs between them, before we get to balancing payments and transmission costs – is also a way to work towards balancing the books and reducing fiscal risks. It's a win-win. If, that is, they can pull it off. The concern will be that Labour is trying to tie their hands, setting up contracts and legal commitments well in advance of the next election that will make it extremely hard for a future government to change course. There are early signs the party is moving in this direction, with the next auction round for renewable subsidies taking the approach of inviting bids first towards a targeted capacity, then setting a cash budget after reviewing them. Combined with Miliband's rush to complete decarbonisation of the grid by 2030, and increasing pressure on the private sector to follow along with schemes incentivising electrification of home heating and transport, and the intention could well be to tie Reform's hands. However, Richard Tice, deputy leader of Reform UK and the party's energy spokesman, isn't worried. 'Miliband is absolutely trying to lock us into his net zero plans,' he told me on Wednesday. 'And they're trying to tie up as many contracts as possible now to bind our hands when we win office – you can see that with the switch in renewable energy policy from cash budgets to capacity targets'. But just as Labour can play games with contracts and commitments, so too can Reform. 'We'll claw the public's money back by charging a windfall tax equal to the subsidy awarded, and bar producers from charging that tax back to the consumer,' Tice said. 'Wind farms that need promises of huge public subsidies to finish construction won't be economically viable. And battery storage systems will be outright banned on health and safety grounds; they are dangerous and toxic.' The result is a battle of pre-commitments. Miliband appears to be urging the private sector to pile in on net zero plans, waving the prospect of taxpayer funds at potential partners, and finding ways to make legally binding agreements that will be hard to unpick. Reform, however, isn't planning to unpick them, but to instead follow Miliband's example in the North Sea: restrict operating conditions, tax profits, and drive the value of projects to zero. The effect is to introduce considerable political risk into net zero projects, but potentially also to tempt Labour into finding ways to hand out funds upfront. All eyes on this space: whether Reform's pledges can succeed in scaring off the renewables sector could determine its ability to win the next election.
The Independent
37 minutes ago
- The Independent
Spain vs France prediction: La Roja to advance to Nations League final with narrow win?
Spain vs France tips: Spain to win by one goal - 3/1 Bet365 Lamine Yamal to score or assist - 8/5 William Hill The second of the Nations League semi-finals takes place on Thursday when Spain and France go head-to-head in Stuttgart for a place in Sunday's final. Spain are the current holders of the competition, beating Croatia in the 2023 final, and they were the beaten finalists two years before when these two sides met in Italy. After a goalless first half, Mikel Oyarzabal gave Spain the lead on 64 minutes before Karim Benzema equalised two minutes later. Kylian Mbappe scored the winner with 10 minutes to go to win the title for France. The two sides also met in the semi-finals of Euro 2024, and Spain got the ultimate revenge, securing a 2-1 win, with all three goals coming in the opening 30 minutes. Randall Kolo Muani gave France the lead with just nine minutes on the clock, but two goals in four minutes from player of the match Lamine Yamal and Dani Olmo secured the Spaniards' place in the final - and we all know what happened in that one. Football betting sites are all backing Spain to come out on top again at odds of 6/4, while you can get 11/5 on a France win and 43/19 on the game to finish all square after 90 minutes. Spain vs France prediction: La Roja to reach the final again Didier Deschamps' side qualified for the semi-final by winning group A2 on goal difference after finishing level on points with Italy after both sides won four, drew one and lost one. But they needed penalties to get through the quarter-final stage when they bounced back from losing the first leg against Croatia 2-0 to win their home leg by the same scoreline, thanks to goals from Michael Olise and Ousmane Dembele. Mike Maignan saved a decisive penalty before Dayot Upamecano scored his to secure a 5-4 shootout win. Spain were the clear winners of A4, winning five and drawing the other one of their six matches and conceding just four goals. They also needed a penalty shootout to reach the last four after a 2-2 draw against the Netherlands in Rotterdam was followed by a 3-3 draw in Valencia. Pedri converted the winning penalty after Unai Simon saved from Donyell Malen. The success of Paris Saint Germain and Inter Milan in the Champions League could prove France's downfall with seven players involved in Saturday's final, and some of them could well be still celebrating. Lucas Hernandez, Desire Doue, Bradley Barcola, Warren Zaire-Emery, Dembele, Marcus Thuram and Benjamin Pavard all featured on Saturday, so we'll have to wait and see how Deschamps uses them on Thursday. Spain vs France betting tips: Yamal to star again It's been quite a season for Lamine Yamal, who at just 17 years old has scored 19 goals this season for club and country in 60 games. He has also assisted with 20 more goals to help Spain to this semi-final and Barcelona to their 28th La Liga title. Betting sites are offering 12/1 on him scoring first or 11/2 at any time, but if you want to hedge your bets, you can get 8/5 on him scoring or assisting. Please Gamble Responsibly When having a bet, it's vital to practice responsible gambling. Betting can be addictive and it's important to stay in control of your betting. Never treat gambling as a way to make money, never bet more than you can afford and when the fun stops, stop. Gambling sites offer punters tools, like deposit limits, profit and loss trackers and self-exclusion options, to help them stay in control. But if you ever feel like you need help or advice on gambling addiction, don't hesitate to contact one of the charities or organisations below.
