Jack Draper Breaks Into World’s Top 4 After Queen’s Club Semifinal Victory Over Nakashima
British tennis star Jack Draper has reached a career milestone, advancing to the semi-finals at Queen’s Club for the first time after a hard-fought 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 win over Brandon Nakashima. The victory not only marks a major achievement in Draper’s grass-court journey, but it also propels him back to his career-high ATP ranking of World No. 4—guaranteeing a top-four seed at Wimbledon.
Despite his success, Draper, 23, continues to be his toughest critic. Known for his perfectionism, he admitted dissatisfaction with his recent form, citing lapses in focus and inconsistency on his forehand. Still adjusting from a demanding clay-court season, Draper acknowledged that he’s yet to feel completely at ease on grass but remains confident that he’s steadily improving: “The level of what I’m playing could be more consistent, definitely better… but still doing well to be in the semis.”
Draper’s mental resilience shone through in key moments, reflecting a growing maturity in pressure situations. He’ll now face Czech talent Jiri Lehecka, who ended fellow Brit Jacob Fearnley’s impressive run with a 7-5, 6-2 victory.
CARLOS ALCARAZ
Meanwhile, defending Queen’s Club champion Carlos Alcaraz extended his winning streak to 16 matches after beating Arthur Rinderknech 7-5, 6-4. Alcaraz, who survived a marathon battle against Jaume Munar the previous day, admitted to feeling the physical toll but was relieved by the shorter match duration: “Could be better, honestly… but I’m glad today was just one hour, 20 minutes.”
With both Alcaraz and Draper in top form, a potential Queen’s Club final clash between the two remains a possibility—though they would avoid each other until the semi-finals at Wimbledon thanks to Draper’s new seeding.
Elsewhere, World No. 1 Jannik Sinner surprised fans by releasing a music single titled Polvere e Gloria (“Dust and Glory”) in collaboration with legendary Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli. The track features Bocelli’s vocals alongside excerpts from Sinner’s past speeches. However, on the court, Sinner suffered an upset at the Halle Open, falling in three sets to Alexander Bublik—his first loss to a player ranked outside the top 20 in nearly two years.
Back in the UK, British No. 2 Katie Boulter’s title defense in Nottingham ended in the quarter-finals after a 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 defeat to American McCartney Kessler. Boulter had taken an early lead in the final set, but Kessler staged a comeback to secure a semi-final spot.
