Could Jack Draper succeed where Andy Murray fell short on clay?
At last year’s French Open, every British singles player crashed out in the first round — the third time this century the nation has suffered a complete opening-round wipeout at Roland-Garros. British players have historically struggled on clay, a surface that remains both scarce and underdeveloped in the UK. The country’s climate makes red clay courts expensive and impractical to maintain, limiting player exposure and favouring development on faster hard and grass surfaces instead.
In the Open Era, Sue Barker remains the only Briton to have won the French Open, clinching the trophy in 1976. Even Andy Murray struggled on the red dirt, losing his only French Open final to Novak Djokovic in 2016, and he only claimed two ATP titles on clay over his illustrious career.
On Sunday, Jack Draper was on course to buck this trend. The British No. 1 was denied a first ATP Tour clay-court title by Casper Ruud, who defeated Draper 2-1 in a thrilling Madrid Open final.
Ruud, the two-time French Open finalist, fought back from 5-3 down to secure the opening set. Despite Draper taking the second set to tee up a winner-takes-all final set, the Norwegian edged his opponent to claim his maiden Masters 1000 title.
The 23-year-old had never gone beyond the quarter-finals of a tour-level tournament on clay, but didn’t lose a set all week in the Spanish capital prior to the final, proving he is more than capable on the surface.
With the French Open starting later this month, can Draper achieve what Murray couldn’t and become the first British men’s singles champion in Paris?
Draper’s rise and potential
When Draper became British No. 1 after winning his first ATP title in Stuttgart last year, Murray claimed the left-hander has the attributes to become world No. 1. But since losing to Sinner in straight sets in a remarkable run to the US Open semi-finals last year, injuries have hampered the Brit, with critics questioning his physicality and mental fortitude.
But his start to 2025 has demonstrated why Murray has such lofty expectations for his compatriot. Draper endured three back-to-back five-set victories at the Australian Open in January, before being forced to retire in the fourth round to Carlos Alcaraz.
He then reached the Doha Open final in February, narrowly losing to Andrey Rublev, before winning his first Masters title at Indian Wells a month later. This marked his third career title, rising to a career high of fifth in the world rankings.
Since the ATP Rankings were introduced in 1973, Draper was just one of six British men to reach the top 10, and is now the fourth to enter the top five. Since Murray’s retirement, the nation has been yearning for a singles player to take the baton as the beacon of pride of men’s British tennis.
Draper’s age, ability, and trajectory are getting fans hopeful that he could be just that, and if he can add success on clay to his arsenal, they have every right to be excited.
Clay-court versatility on show in Madrid
Draper was in good shape heading into the Spanish capital last week, confident of adding a clay tournament triumph to his grass (Stuttgart) and hard-court (Vienna and Indian Wells) ATP victories.
It wasn’t meant to be this time, but the Brit’s performance in Madrid showcased his versatility across all surfaces. Tim Henman told BBC Sport: “There isn’t a surface in my mind that Jack can’t play on. When you look at his attributes – he’s got a big, lefty serve, he hits his forehand with a lot of spin and power — they work on any surface, certainly on clay.”
Before Madrid, Draper had never won three ATP matches in a row or topped a top-30 player on clay. He and Murray are the only British men to reach Masters 1000 finals on both hard and clay courts.
Draper never doubted his ability on the red dirt. After the final, he said, “I knew I was good on the clay. I had a couple of really tight losses last year, and I just needed to get my foot in the door somewhere to show that I’m able to compete to a really high level on this surface. I think this week has shown that, and it’s shown it to myself, shown it to others.”
Draper’s battle with clay
Draper’s historic struggles on clay were arguably due to previous fitness issues, given that the surface’s slower speed leads to longer rallies and higher physical demands. But after slowly improving his fitness, which the series of gruelling five-setters in Australia undoubtedly helped, Draper has more confidence in his body.
“I went from thinking that I was weak and like I wasn’t going to be able to carry on, to then feeling ‘wow, I’m actually pretty strong’,” Draper reflected.
He’s improved his mobility, sliding across the dirt more easily. In Madrid, his forehand drew comparisons with fellow left-hander Rafael Nadal – the ‘King of Clay’ – striking the ball with impressive topspin and speed.
While nobody’s expecting the Brit to come anywhere close to the recently retired Nadal’s 14 French Open titles, Draper’s prowess on the clay at the Caja Magica showcases an impressive adaptability across all surfaces.
Draper is destined for Grand Slam titles and has plenty of time in his career to do what Murray couldn’t and become the first Brit to claim a championship at the French Open in 49 years.
