Jack Draper’s Coach Weighs in on Whether He Can Break Carlos Alcaraz-Jannik Sinner Duopoly and Win Grand Slam Title

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have won a combined 28 titles from 37 finals, including nine Majors, since 2024.

Jack Draper’s Coach Weighs in on Whether He Can Break Carlos Alcaraz-Jannik Sinner Duopoly and Win Grand Slam Title

L-R: Jannik Sinner, Jack Draper, and Carlos Alcaraz (Image via X/Jannik Sinner, Sky Sports, Carlos Alcaraz)

In Short
  • Jack Draper returned to competition after an arm injury, participating in the Dubai Tennis Championships.
  • Draper has won titles at every level except Grand Slam events, with his best performance being a semifinal finish at the 2024 US Open.
  • Coach Jamie Delgado believes Draper has the potential to break the dominance of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner in Grand Slam tournaments.

Jack Draper is back on tour. After returning for a Davis Cup match, Draper finally competed in a singles tournament for the first time since last year’s US Open.

Due to an arm injury, Draper, following his first-round win in New York, was forced to give the walkover to his second-round opponent. The first singles event he played since the last Major of the season was this year’s Dubai Tennis Championships.

He first overcame Quentin Halys but fell in three sets against Arthur Rinderknech in the following round. Draper has won titles at every level except at a Grand Slam event.

Last year, after losing the Qatar Open to Andrey Rublev, Draper knocked out Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinal and later defeated Holger Rune in the final of the Indian Wells Masters, winning his career’s first Big Title. He then made the final of the Madrid Open as well, but couldn’t go past three-time Major finalist Casper Ruud.

In Grand Slam events, Draper produced his best when he reached the semifinals of the 2024 US Open, losing the match to eventual champion Jannik Sinner. Last year, he failed to reach the quarterfinals of the Majors.

Only Sinner and Alcaraz have won in Slams since the 2024 season, winning a combined nine titles. Last year, Draper hired renowned coach Jamie Delgado, who also worked with Grigor Dimitrov and Andy Murray. Delgado, during his interview with Sky Sports, gave his verdict on whether Draper could be the guy to break the Sinner-Alcaraz duopoly.

He has had wins over Carlos. I think the mentality side of it is important that he has had those results to give him confidence to maybe beat these guys in the biggest of matches.

Draper holds a 1-1 head-to-head tie over the four-time Grand Slam champion. Against Alcaraz, the British ace trails 2-4.

I’ve always had that mindset with the players I’ve coached to try to achieve something that they haven’t before. It’s not always easy when you’re working with top players, but a Slam is something he obviously hasn’t achieved yet. That is something that is possible.

Jamie Delgado added

Next is the first Masters 1000 of the season, Indian Wells, where Draper’s task will be to defend his title. Draper has so far played seven finals, winning three titles.

Jamie Delgado gives his take on how long Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s dominance can last

Since the 2024 season, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have won a combined 28 trophies from 37 finals. This year, while Sinner failed to defend his Australian Open title and lost to Jakub Mensik in the quarterfinals of the Qatar Open, Alcaraz won both tournaments. During that aforementioned interview with Sky Sports, Jamie Delgado said that if Alcaraz and Sinner drop their level a little bit, they could end up losing matches.

Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner (2)
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner (Image via X/Carlos Alcaraz 4K, Jannik Sinner HQ)

They’re obviously super young, and you think it’s going to go on for a while, but it’s difficult. I know they make it look very easy to be there and win these tournaments, but it does take a lot out of you, and if you only drop five percent, your mindset, your hunger, that edge that makes you win these tournaments, you could lose a few matches. Even in the last year or so, Grigor could have beaten him at Wimbledon, and he struggled against Eliot Spizzirri at the Australian Open.

Sinner, who was forced to skip both Sunshine Doubles events last year due to his three-month doping ban, has yet to reach the final at Indian Wells. Alcaraz is a two-time champion in the American city.

After his defeat to Jack Draper at Indian Wells last year, Alcaraz suffered an opening-round exit at the Miami Open. Both Sinner and Alcaraz are former Miami Open champions.

Also read: Andrey Rublev Admits He Doesn’t Believe Carlos Alcaraz is Unbeatable on Tour