'Made a fool of himself' - Jack Draper brought back to earth after French Open

Daily Mirror

04-06-2025

Jack Draper's French Open campaign came to an disappointing end on Monday, as the British No. 1 was knocked out by Alexander Bublik in the fourth round at Roland Garros
Jack Draper was on the end of a humbling at the hands of former French tennis star, and current TV analyst, Michael Llodra, as he was knocked out of Roland Garros by Alexander Bublik in the fourth round. As Draper toiled against his opponent, ex-world No. 3 Llodra compared the Brit's performance to the recent Champions League final, where Paris Saint-Germain trounced Inter Milan 5-0.
Kazakh star Bublik pulled off a significant upset, sending the No. 5 seed packing from the French Open by a scoreline of 5-7 6-3 6-2 6-4.
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Observing Draper's struggles when two sets down, Llodra, 45, brutally observed: "We've got the world No. 5 making a fool of himself for almost a set and a half. We get a glimpse of Bublik's talent. It feels like watching PSG against Inter Milan. I had to say it. Sorry."
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Draper faced a resourceful opponent in the 28-year-old Bublik, who fended off five breakpoints on his way to a monumental victory. The world No. 62 confounded the Brit with a series of expertly executed drop-shots and powerful winners launched from the baseline.
"I'm hurt, and for sure I'm really disappointed," the 23-year-old Draper after the match. "I had an opportunity today, and I missed my opportunity, for sure. I struggle to put things in perspective.
"But I think I am proud of the effort that I've done on the clay. I think I've really improved. I think last year I was leaving here, first round loss, being 40 in the world and very disappointed with my tennis and not sure, you know, where I was going with it.
"This year I'm leaving No. 5 in the world. I've made the fourth round. I'm playing consistently really good tennis week in and week out."
Draper, who had been tipped to reach the quarter-finals to face off against top seed Jannik Sinner, confessed after his defeat that there's a distance between him and the game's elites, such as the Italian and Spanish star Carlos Alcaraz.
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"I still think I'm a long way behind those boys a little bit. I still have lots to learn," he added. "They're probably a year, two years ahead of me and obviously achieved a lot more, a lot more experience. I do have a lot to do to catch up with them, in all honesty."
Following his victory, Bublik expressed his joy. "You know, sometimes in life, there is only one chance and I had a feeling that was mine and I couldn't let it slip," he said to the Court Suzanne-Lenglen crowd. "Standing here, it's the best moment of my life, period."
Despite his Roland Garros disappointment, Draper has enjoyed a solid 2025 so far. He clinched his inaugural ATP 1000 title at Indian Wells, was runner-up at the Madrid Open and reached the quarters in Rome. He also attained a career-best ranking of world No. 5.
It's thought that the British No. 1 will not defend the title he won at the Stuttgart Open in 2024, however. He has elected to miss the German competition when it kicks off on June 11.
It's believed he will instead focus on preparing for the Queen's Club Championships and then Wimbledon. Meanwhile, Bublik will face Sinner in the French Open quarter-finals on Wednesday.