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Carlos Alcaraz insists Jack Draper 'deserves' top five tennis world ranking

Carlos Alcaraz insists Jack Draper 'deserves' top five tennis world ranking

Carlos Alcaraz declares Jack Draper deserves "deserves to be at the top" in the tennis world rankings.

The 23-year-old British number one leapfrogged the 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, 38, and took the fifth spot from one the globe's best tennis players after he thrashed Italy's Matteo Arnaldi, 24, 6-0,6-4 just after 77 minutes in the quarter-finals of the Madrid Open earlier this month.

It came after a string of success for Draper so far in 2025.

This includes claiming his first French Open win at Roland Garros after he demolished Italy's Mattia Bellucci, 23, 3-6 6-1 6-4 6-2 on Tuesday (27.05.25).

Also, the tennis prodigy reached the US Open semi-final last year where Italian Jannik Sinner, 23, beat the 2018 Wimbledon Championships – Boys' singles runner-up 7-5 7-6 6-2.

Now, Draper has caught the attention of the four-time major winner Alcaraz, and he is delighted that the Team GB tennis star will "reach his best ever career ranking [world number four] after the French Open.

Alcaraz, 22, told TNT Sports: "He’s a really nice person off the court. Everybody has seen what he’s capable of doing on the court.

"He’s a great player. After this tournament he will reach his best-ever career ranking - world No. 4 - I’m just really happy for him.

"I’ve never had any doubt about him. I respect that he’s going to be where he deserves to be and he deserves to be at the top.

"He’s a really dangerous player. I’ve faced him a few times already but it’s great to see him at the top."

Draper made history with his defeat against Arnaldi and ranking because it marks only the second time a left-handed player has reached the top five in the past 100 years, following in the footsteps of the 22-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal, 38, who retired from the sport after playing for Spain in the 2024 Davis Cup Finals.

Following the 23-year-old tennis sensation's win against Arnaldi at the Madrid Open, he told Sky Sports: "I feel stronger every time I play.

"Against these guys, I used to feel like I would be the one on the back foot, the one defending, so the next part of my game was getting capable physically to do the things I know I can do and bully these guys.

"I have been doing everything in all areas pretty well and am excited to keep on going. Hopefully, it keeps coming together."

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