Carlos Alcaraz-Jannik Sinner rivalry ‘amazing for tennis’, says Jack Draper

British number one Jack Draper believes the rivalry between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner will be crucial if tennis is to regain the spotlight shone on it during the Federer-Nadal era.

Last weekend’s epic Roland Garros final – won by the Spaniard, who came from two sets down to defend his title in a French Open record five-hour, 29-minute marathon –  enraptured audiences, pushing viewing figures to new heights for broadcaster Warner Bros Discovery.

Draper, the second seed at Queen’s this week and entering at a career-high world number four, acknowledges everyone in the game benefits when the sport’s biggest names are playing at their captivating best.

“I think tennis is in a really good spot in a way that the depth of it, especially the top 100, is extremely strong,” said Draper, who has been drawn against American Jenson Brooksby in the first round.

“Everyone is so good (but) maybe five, 10 years ago, maybe the top 10 or the top 20 was a bit more stacked.

“But having those two guys especially, who were being incredibly consistent showing that level of the game, in one of the biggest tournaments in the world, and dragging more attention to the sport, that only helps them, helps players like myself, helps the game in general to keep on moving in the right direction and keep developing.

“Obviously the spectators will feel it, but players will feel it as well. When we haven’t got a Rafa (Nadal) or Roger (Federer) or Andy (Murray) in the changing rooms it’s a bit different, but having players who are asserting themselves in that league, I think that’s amazing for tennis.

“That’s going to hopefully break even more through, because they’re going to keep on improving. They’re going to make us better, and we are going to hopefully keep producing more and more great players and great levels.”

Unlike world number two Alcaraz, who treated himself to a post-French Open holiday in Ibiza, Draper has laid low at home in the UK following his disappointing fourth-round defeat to Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik – and watched the final from the comfort of his flat.

Alcaraz said his team were “100 per cent” behind his island break, admitting his accomplishment in Paris was still settling in as he prepares to open his grass-court campaign against compatriot Alejandro Davidovich Fokina as the first seed at Queen’s, where he was defeated by Draper last year.

The 22-year-old, who won the tournament on debut in 2023, said: “The phone, the media, everywhere, is so in that a lot of videos from that match, from that moment, match point down and I still watch it sometimes, and I still don’t believe that I come back from that moment.

“So sometimes it’s difficult to realise that I’m in this position, that I won the French Open, watching the videos from 40-love, in that moment. So I’m still watching those videos.”

And while he could not pick a favourite between his maiden French Open victory last year and his title defence, the Spaniard said: “The first one is always there. It’s always special. It’s gonna be always in your heart.

“And this one, the second one, a lot of people told me that it was the best final they have ever seen.”