Meet Jack Draper, the heir apparent to Vogue-star Andy Murray, who is now worth millions

JACK DRAPER is the heir apparent to Andy Murray and the figurehead of British tennis.

That became crystal clear when Murray withdrew from the singles event at Wimbledon.

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Muzza’s loss was Draper’s gain as he was moved to Centre Court to face Swedish batsman Elias Ymer.

And he produced a performance that the recently retired Murray would have been proud of during a truly epic five-set marathon.

Long before the tournament, experts had identified Draper as the new great promise of British tennis.

But that performance against Ymer at SW19 showed the British public that we may not have to wait too long before a British hero follows in Murray’s footsteps and wins Wimbledon.

Draper follows right in Murray’s footsteps at the US Open.

The 22-year-old is in the semi-finals at Flushing Meadows, with only Jannick Sinner and the winner of the American clash between Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe standing between him and the trophy.

Draper was incredibly aggressive on the court throughout the tournament.

But off the field, the demand for the handsome Draper, who is 1.93 meters tall, is just as high.

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Earlier this year he appeared in glamorous photoshoots for fashion bibles Vogue and Tatler.

In the first, he confessed his love for the camera and discussed his blossoming modeling career, for which he has a contract with the world-famous agency IMG.

Draper has come a long way from the Surrey village of Ashtead.

Dressing the part

With his long hair, designer stubble, a stern gaze and a slim figure accentuated by Louis Vuitton clothes, Draper looked like a man from July’s Vogue.

He confessed to the magazine, “I quite enjoy being in front of the camera,” adding, “If I look good, that is.”

That’s exactly how the talent scouts at IMG saw it and offered him a separate modeling contract.

But Draper understands fashion and isn’t afraid to change up his look.

It could well make him the figurehead of tennis in the years to come.

About his hairstyles he said: “I have a buzzcut, a mohawk, a mullet…”

With an estimated net worth of around £2.3million, thanks to prize money and deals with Dunlop, Nike and Vodafone, he will undoubtedly become a big businessman too.

Brands have taken notice of his whining on social media.

His Instagram account is becoming more and more popular and features many photos that the female audience will love.

On TikTok, #JackDraper videos have been viewed more than 200,000 times.

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Principles

Besides his good looks, Draper is a truly talented player on the field.

He is now ranked 28th in the world, a record.

Draper showed his first signs of tennis talent at the age of one, when he hit a ball against the garage door of his home.

It was his grandmother’s influence that inspired him to pick up a racket.

Brenda, a former tennis coach and player, is now unfortunately struggling with Alzheimer’s disease.

It is heartbreaking that she is unaware that the seed she planted is now growing into a huge success.

At the age of three he began teaching tennis to his mother’s toddler group at Sutton Tennis and Squash Club.

At the age of five he was coached twice a week by Justin Sherring at the Weybridge Tennis Academy at Parkside School.

Draper then moved to the posh Reed’s boarding school in Cobham, where Tim Henman was also a pupil.

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For example, they offered scholarships after a physical test: you had to run until you dropped.

It is that early basic knowledge that has served him well in his life so far.

Family affair

Draper comes from a good home.

His father Roger is a former chief executive of Sport England and the Lawn Tennis Association.

Mother Nicky is a former British junior tennis champion.

Together they carefully guide their son’s development.

She oversees his accounts, while his brother Ben – his doppelganger – is his manager.

“It’s really nice to have people around you that you love and that you know will always support you,” Jack told BBC Sport.

“It keeps you grounded, it keeps you motivated and ultimately it keeps you healthy in the sport.”

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He added: “One of the reasons I’ve gotten to this point is I’m lucky enough to have an older brother who I can play with and compete against. It’s that brotherly rivalry.

“I remember when we were kids we only played each other once. He beat me and that was the end of me, even though he’s four years older than me.”

Winning formula

It is unusual for Draper to play left-handed, even though he is naturally right-handed.

This gives him the opportunity to play a backhand as if it were a second forehand.

In June, Draper defeated Matteo Berrettini at the 2024 BOSS Open in Stuttgart to claim his first title.

A week later he surprised the Queen’s Club by knocking out reigning Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz.

That prompted the young Spaniard to call Draper a ‘candidate’ for SW19.

However, what stands in his way is Norrie, who reached the semi-finals in 2022.

Off the field, the British stars, including Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter, have a strong friendship.

“It’s nice to have a camaraderie among the players and constantly push each other to be better,” he told Vogue.

Expect that fondness to be pushed to the limit when he and Norrie meet in the third round on Thursday.

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In the money

Draper’s recent successes have significantly increased his financial clout.

He is now said to have a fortune of £2.3 million

However, that amount is likely to increase further in the coming years due to deals with brands and any prize money he receives.