"Pieces of the puzzle coming together": Four-time Wimbledon semifinalist praise Jack Draper despite early Miami Open exit

Britain’s former number one, Tim Henman, has once again praised fellow countryman Jack Draper after his impressive performances this year. The 23-year-old is already regarded as one of the most talented players currently playing in men’s tennis in the singles category.

Draper’s most recent participation was at the Miami Open, where he was knocked out after losing in the round of 64 to Jakub Mensik in straight sets with a score of 7-6, 7-6. Before that, however, the Sutton-born star produced a masterclass in California as he lifted the Indian Wells ATP 1000 event after beating Denmark’s Holger Rune in the final in straight sets with a score of 6-2, 6-2.

Former British number one Henman has been recently quoted in a report by English media outlet The Independent, where he praised Draper for his impressive performances. The 50-year-old was of the opinion that the youngster’s recent performances is like the ‘puzzle is coming together’

“It’s absolutely fantastic the way that Jack’s been playing and I’m not really that surprised,” he said. “I think what is taking place now is the pieces of the puzzle coming together and those pieces have always been there, but if anything, it’s just perhaps been a few of the little injuries that have kept him from building that momentum in tournament play. That’s what I think is exciting – he’s seven in the world, he’s just won his first Masters 1000 and to me he still hasn’t really played a consistent 12-18 months on Tour. I think when you take a deeper dive into his game, there are very few weaknesses and still areas to improve on. The quality of his serving has been huge, hitting his spots very well, the power on the forehand was brilliant to watch in Indian Wells. I would like him to finish more points at the net. When you’re that aggressive you can bring that extra string to your bow, but for a big guy, he’s a great athlete who moves well. I think that’s what I find exciting for the next decade, hopefully.”