Jack Draper Advances at Wimbledon as Injured Baez Retires

British No. 1 Jack Draper began his Wimbledon campaign in commanding fashion on Tuesday, progressing to the second round after Argentina’s Sebastian Baez retired with an injury.

Draper, seeded fourth following a meteoric rise over the past year, was firmly in control of the match—leading 6-2, 6-2, 2-1—when Baez withdrew after 74 minutes of play. The 23-year-old Argentine had received medical attention in the second set after slipping on the baseline of Court One.

“I was hoping to get more time on court today, to be honest,” Draper said after the match. “I felt like I was beginning to find my rhythm. Of course, this isn’t the way you want to win. I wish Sebastian a speedy recovery.”

This marked only Draper’s third career victory in the main draw at the All England Club. With Andy Murray now officially retired, the spotlight has shifted to the 22-year-old Londoner, seen by many as Britain’s next great hope at SW19.

Although Baez, a clay-court specialist with limited success on grass, posed little danger, Draper’s opening performance nonetheless inspired confidence ahead of sterner tests to come. His next opponent will be experienced Croatian Marin Čilić, a former Wimbledon finalist who remains a serious threat on grass despite his age.

Changing of the Guard

With Murray’s illustrious Wimbledon chapter now closed, Draper finds himself at the forefront of British men’s tennis. Having overtaken Cameron Norrie in the rankings last year, Draper assumed the mantle of national No. 1—but is yet to enjoy a deep run at his home Slam.

Though he’s not yet sparked the fervor that surrounded Murray, Draper is beginning to attract serious fan support. Court One was near capacity for his opener, and a courtside banner featuring his image was a visible sign of growing admiration. Adding to the buzz, English actress and model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley—who appeared with Draper in a recent Burberry campaign—was spotted watching the match from his player box.

“I don’t really feel the pressure until someone brings it up every few minutes,” Draper quipped. “My focus is just on what I can control.”

Serve Proving a Weapon on Grass

Draper’s rise into the ATP top five has been fueled by a series of major milestones, including a semi-final run at last year’s US Open and a Masters 1000 title at Indian Wells. Now viewed as one of the top contenders at Wimbledon—alongside Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, and Novak Djokovic—Draper’s potent serve is a key component of his success on grass.

While his first-serve percentage ranks outside the ATP Tour’s top 40, his ability to win points off it is elite. In Tuesday’s match, Draper was near-flawless on serve—landing 78% of his first deliveries in the opening set and winning 86% of those points, including four aces. By the time Baez called it quits, Draper had won 23 of 25 points on his first serve, an impressive 93% success rate.

“I served well overall,” Draper noted. “Though I think there’s still room to clean up my groundstrokes a bit.”

With a strong start under his belt and the British crowd behind him, Draper’s Wimbledon journey is gaining momentum. The road ahead promises to be more demanding—but if his serve continues to fire, he could make a serious run.