Andy Roddick urges Indian Wells champion Jack Draper to remain humble despite big win in the desert

Although Jack Draper has had a phenomenal start to the 2025 season, former World No.1 Andy Roddick believes the British star should not take his breakthrough for granted.

Draper began the 2025 season by reaching the fourth round of the Australian Open. The 23-year old would finish runner-up in Doha a few weeks later, before winning the biggest title of his career at Indian Wells in March. However, the Brit would come crashing back to earth as he suffered an opening round loss to eventual champion Jakub Mensik at the Miami Open the following week.

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Roddick would like Draper not to skip steps

In a column written for Betway, the retired American explained that Draper still had plenty of room to grow, adding the British star should not be expected to win every tournament he enters.

"Jack Draper was phenomenal in Indian Wells," wrote Roddick. "He’s improved so much with his fitness, his backhand and a lot of other areas. People get into lazy narratives just because he has a big lefty serve, but he was breaking serve all the time and that’s something that he’s improved upon. His return position in Indian Wells was like from where Rafa [Nadal] used to return.
"I love Draper’s process and I love the way he’s working, but I don’t like to skip steps so I wouldn’t say that he’s definitely proven himself as a top player. If I’m him, I’m going, 'OK, I’ve proven I can beat everyone in the world. I’ve beaten Alcaraz in a tournament that he loves, I’ve made the semis of a major.'"

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Furthermore, Roddick compared Draper's recent success to his own exploits in 2003.

"That big breakthrough is often making your first really deep run in a Slam and dealing with the physicality of five sets," said Roddick. "It was probably 2003 Australia for me, where I won back-to-back, monster five-setters and came back from two sets and a break down.
"Believing in your body and knowing that it can stay there, and you’re not having to compromise decision making to shorten points, that’s a big deal. You can’t force belief, but I’ve got to think it’s starting to come in at a pretty accelerated rate for Draper."
"In Australia this year, getting through those five-setters when he wasn’t even playing his best shows his body can withstand the wear and tear of three-out-of-five, which maybe we didn’t know before."
"Now, is clay going to be a place where he thrives? We don’t know. But as we approach the French Open he’s certainly in the area of that top five in the next tier right below Jannik Sinner, and for my money there’s no reason why he can’t establish himself there further."

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