"Jack Draper fundamental in Jannik Sinner-Carlos Alcaraz era"; "Already an uncomfortable rival" - Fans debate Brit's "threat" after Vienna triumph

Jack Draper claimed the biggest title of his career at the 2024 Erste Bank Open in Vienna on October 27. After winning his latest title in his groundbreaking season, fans compared the Brit to Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, with some dubbing him the next big challenger to the Spaniard and the Italian's dominance.

Draper faced an in-form Karen Khachanov in the final of the 2024 Erste Bank Open and looked all set to wrap up a thumping up after going a set and 4-0 up. But the Russian, who was on an eight-match winning streak, rattled off five games in a row to shift the tide in his favor. Draper stood firm in the face of Khachanov's offensive and picked the next three games to emerge victorious 6-4, 7-5.

As a result, Draper took home the ATP 500 title and rose in the ATP ranking to become the World No. 15. The 22-year-old has been stellar throughout the 2024 ATP Tour. He won his maiden tour-level title at the Stuttgart Open in June and reached his maiden Grand Slam semifinal at the US Open.

The Brit's exploits in Vienna drew applause from across the tennis world, with many fans remarking on Draper's possible challenge to fellow young guns Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. Draper recently registered his first win over Alcaraz at the 2024 Queen's Club Championships after losing to him in two previous meetings. Sinner and Draper are tied 1-1 in their head-to-head record.

While Draper may not have the same Grand Slam pedigree as the duo, some fans opined that he will be a big rival for Alcaraz and Sinner and rocket to the top 5 in no time. Others felt that the Brit has the best chance of winning a Major on faster surfaces if he remains injury-free.

"Draper will be fundamental in the Sinner-Alcaraz era, he is already an uncomfortable rival for both. Went through a hellish situation with injuries like what happened to Jann in 2022 but now that his physique is working he shines and his rise to the top 5 is just a matter of time," a fan said.

"Outside of Sinner, Alcaraz, Djokovic and Zverev, for me Jack Draper is the most likely player to compete for a GS win on a fast surface. Plenty of work still to be done to be physically ready, but his game is impressive," another fan tweeted.

"Gave a good account of himself vs Alcaraz earlier at Queens this year. Injury has been his biggest battle. If he can play consistently, he has a top-10 level of Tennis," a fan commented.

Meanwhile, one fan pegged Jack Draper as Great Britain's "next best hope" for a Grand Slam title.

"If he improves his stamina in 3 out of 5 set matches, we'll see more deep runs in Slams like in Flushing this year. Great Britain's next best hope for a men's slam winner," the fan tweeted.

Not all fans held the same view, as many did not consider Draper to be at the same level as Alcaraz and Sinner. Some said that the Brit might pull a few surprises but will not be able to hold his own against the duo in the long run.

"Nah I don’t see that. Carlos and Jannick are on another level. He might be able to upset them at a tournament or two but I don’t see him being a consistent threat yet," another fan wrote on X.

A fan posted, "Let's circle back when he wins a clay tournament..."

"Long term I think I like Fils the most out of the Shelton, Musetti, Draper tier, but Draper will be around there. Also can’t count out Rune, or the super young guys like Fonseca and Mensik," a fan opined.

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"Shake up those guys at the top of the game" - Jack Draper eyes rivalry with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner

Jack Draper (Source: Getty)

Jack Draper is set to compete at the 2024 Paris Masters and is looking forward to taking a well-earned break at the end of a long season. After the title run in Austria, the Brit stated that he hopes to be ready for the next big challenges in 2025 and set his sights on rivalries with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.

Speaking after his title win in Vienna, Draper said,

"It has been a long year and it has taken a lot out of me. And then I'll refresh and I'll go again for next year with even bigger motivation to really shake up those guys at the top of the game - the likes of Sinner and Alcaraz."

Draper also acknowledged that a lot of work is yet to be done. He stressed the importance of improving physically to give the top players on the tour a real competition in the long run.

"If I can keep on improving physically and keep on getting more and more experience at this higher level against top players then I'm going to give myself a shot to hopefully be competing with those guys. But there's a lot of work to do."

Jack Draper will have little time to recuperate from his Vienna triumph as he is set to face Czech No. 1 Tomas Machac in the first round at Bercy on October 29. The winner of the clash will take on US Open runner-up and fifth seed Taylor Fritz in the second round.