Player who could beat Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner named by former Wimbledon champion
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have separated themselves from the pack in men’s tennis over the last couple of years and now the player many believe can disrupt their domination is on the way back.
Jack Draper made his long-awaited return from injury in Great Britain’s Davis Cup tie against Norway and now he is set to play in next week’s ATP 500 tournament in Rotterdam, as he looks to step up his comeback programme.
Draper has been struggling with an arm injury since last summer and only played one match after Wimbledon in 2025 before pulling out of the US Open in August.
Speaking exclusively to Tennis365, former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash suggested Draper is the player who has the firepower to rattle Alcaraz and Sinner, with his wins against the first of those two in recent years highlighting his quality.
“It’s clear that Alcaraz and Sinner are ahead of the rest by a good way, but Jack Draper is the player I believe can trouble them,” Cash told Tennis365.
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“He’s got that big leftie serve, a massive forehand and a good all round game. You could see how it was all coming together for him before he got the arm injury, which was a real shame.
“If he can keep himself on the court for long enough, I really feel like Draper could be the player to challenge Alcaraz and Sinner.”
Draper was forced to abandon plans to play in the Australian Open, but is now on the way back and relishing the chance to perform on the big stage once again.
“I’ve really missed competing,” he said. “It’s been a long time, but I’ve learned a lot of things. It’s been a very difficult injury for me, but it’s good to be back here.
“It’s one thing staying afloat because we’re used to being 100 miles an hour on the road, and then all of that gets taken away from you, the buzz of competing.
“You’re kind of like in a hole and you need to get yourself out of that hole somehow, especially with a long injury. There’s not been just one moment but many moments where it’s been very, very difficult, not only myself but my team and my family.
“But that’s where you’ve got to stay strong, you’ve got to keep on going.
“I know that I’m very grateful to live the life that I have and I’m very motivated for the future as well. That’s the one thing that’s kept me going is to keep in mind that I do have a big vision for myself, and I know that time will come again, but I have to keep on persevering.
“When I first got it [latest arm injury], I didn’t know much about bone stresses,” he said.
“I’d heard they’re quite nasty to deal with, but I’d never really understood it and then quickly realised it’s not like a hamstring or a bad ankle or something where you know the timeline for your recovery.
“It’s one of those things where it’s just your body naturally goes at the right time, and it’s just been quite a lot of setbacks, quite a lot of adjusting to the load.
“It’s in my left arm and I have to hit a serve at 135 miles an hour. It’s not easy to get it to the point where it’s good again.
“It’s ultimately like the injury needs to recover, but then also you need to get it to the point where it can manage the load of what you’re doing on the tennis court.
“So, with me, that’s hitting hard forehands and hard serves. It’s a lot of load and that takes a long, long time.
“I know a few people who’ve had the same injury, and it’s a long, drawn-out process and it’s not easy to deal with.”