Jamie Delgado believes Jack Draper has the potential to win a Grand Slam title
Draper has already proven he can beat top players like Carlos Alcaraz
Delgado emphasizes Draper's powerful game as his key asset against elite competition
The coach acknowledges challenges from Draper's injury but remains focused on long-term development
Specific improvements are needed in Draper's backhand and return game, particularly on grass
📖 Full Retelling
Jamie Delgado, the new coach of British tennis number one Jack Draper, expressed his belief that the 24-year-old can win a Grand Slam title as the player prepared to return to ATP Tour action at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships in February 2026, highlighting Draper's ability to challenge top players like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner with his powerful game. Under his previous coach James Trotman, Draper had already achieved significant success, winning three ATP Tour titles including the prestigious Masters 1000 crown in Indian Wells, and reaching the semi-finals of the US Open in 2024, which propelled him to a career-high ranking of fourth in the world. Delgado, who previously worked with Andy Murray to help him win a second Wimbledon title and become world number one in 2016, expressed his excitement about the new partnership, noting that despite knowing Draper for years, he had gained valuable insight into how the young player trains and what makes him tick during recent practice sessions, giving him a head start in their professional relationship. When analyzing Draper's game, Delgado emphasized the player's natural power as his greatest asset against top competitors, explaining that 'to beat those top guys you need to take the racket out of their hands' and that Draper has already proven he can compete with the best, having beaten Alcaraz multiple times and possessing the physical capabilities to match players like Sinner and Alcaraz, while acknowledging challenges ahead particularly regarding Draper's recent arm injury and subsequent drop in ranking and match play, but remaining focused on building a game plan that could eventually lead Grand Slam success.
🏷️ Themes
Tennis coaching, Grand Slam potential, Player development
The ATP Tour (known as ATP World Tour between January 2009 and December 2018) is the sole worldwide top-tier tennis tour for men organized by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) founded in 1990 that replaced the earlier dual Grand Prix Circuit and WCT Circuit. The second-tier tour is the A...
Jack Alexander Draper (born 22 December 2001) is a British professional tennis player. He has a career-high ATP singles ranking of world No. 4, achieved on 9 June 2025 and a doubles ranking of No.
Jamie Delgado (born 21 March 1977) is a British tennis coach and former professional player. Delgado has represented Great Britain in the Davis Cup, most recently in 2006.
Delgado holds the all-time male record for playing in consecutive Wimbledon tournaments, playing for the 23rd time in 2014 at t...
This analysis highlights the potential for a new challenger to emerge in men's tennis, currently dominated by Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. Draper's coach believes he has the specific skills needed to compete at the highest level, which could reshape the competitive landscape. For British tennis fans, it raises hopes for a first male Grand Slam champion since Andy Murray.
Context & Background
Jack Draper is the British No. 1 and reached a career-high ranking of world No. 4
He won the Indian Wells Masters 1000 title in March 2025 and reached the US Open semi-finals in 2024
New coach Jamie Delgado previously worked with Andy Murray and Grigor Dimitrov
Draper has beaten Carlos Alcaraz multiple times but hasn't yet defeated Jannik Sinner
What Happens Next
Draper returns to ATP Tour action at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, where his performance will be closely watched. The focus will be on how he adapts to his new coaching partnership and builds match fitness after injury. The grass court season, particularly Wimbledon, will be a key test of his development under Delgado's guidance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes Jack Draper a potential Grand Slam winner according to his coach?
Delgado cites Draper's powerful game, ability to take the racket out of opponents' hands, physical strength matching top players, and specific weapons like his serve and forehand that can dominate matches.
How does Draper compare to Alcaraz and Sinner?
Delgado believes Draper has the tools to challenge them, having beaten Alcaraz multiple times, but notes consistency is what separates the established stars from challengers like Draper.
What are Draper's main areas for improvement?
His coach wants him to be more offensive with his backhand, improve his return game especially on grass, and work on movement adaptation across different surfaces.
Original Source
Analysis 'It could be Jack. Why not?' Jack Draper's new coach Jamie Delgado on why British No 1 can win a Grand Slam Jack Draper is a player who can challenge Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner; coach Jamie Delgado discusses what makes the British No 1 a potential Grand Slam winner; Watch the ATP and WTA Tours live on Sky Sports Tennis and Sky Sports+, streaming service NOW and the app Raz Mirza Sports Journalist @RazMirza Sunday 22 February 2026 17:02, UK Jamie Delgado can't hide his excitement at the prospect of working with Jack Draper and with the aim of taking the 24-year-old to the pinnacle of the sport. The British No 1 returns to ATP Tour action at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships - live on Sky Sports Tennis. Under former coach James Trotman, Draper won three ATP Tour titles, including the Masters 1000 crown in Indian Wells last March, while he made his major Grand Slam breakthrough by reaching the semi-finals of the US Open in 2024 as well as reaching a a high of fourth in the rankings. Delgado's three-year partnership with Grigor Dimitrov came to an end in September, but he is best known for his work with Andy Murray, helping the Scot win a second Wimbledon title and end 2016 as world No 1. So can he help take Draper to Grand Slam glory? Monterosa This content is provided by Monterosa , which may be using cookies and other technologies. To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies. You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable Monterosa cookies or to allow those cookies just once. You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options . Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to Monterosa cookies. To view this content you can use the button below to allow Monterosa cookies for this session only. Enable Cookies Allow Cookies Once What tennis is live on Sky Sports 🎾 📺 Download the Sky Sports app for expert analysis, best video & more 📱 Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream w...
