US Open semi-finalist Jack Draper was a Shrewsbury champion earlier in his career
Jack Draper impressed Shropshire tennis fans when he won a title at The Shrewsbury Club earlier in his career, and now, five years on, the British star is preparing to play in the semi-finals of the US Open.
Draper, 22, continued his brilliant run in New York by beating Australian Alex de Minaur in Wednesday night’s quarter-final. He has yet to drop a set in advancing to the last four.
Draper will now face Italian Jannik Sinner, the world number one, in the semi-finals at Flushing Meadows on Friday after becoming the first British player since Andy Murray in 2012 to reach this stage of the men’s singles.
Draper showcased his talent in Shropshire when he was crowned champion of the Budgen Motors ITF World Tour M25 Shrewsbury tournament in September 2019.
Aged 17 at the time, Draper, the number one seed for the event, produced excellent performances throughout his week playing on the indoor courts at the Sundorne Road venue.
He eventually beat Italian Julian Ocleppo in the final to become the first British player to win a Pro-Series men’s tournament in Shrewsbury since Dan Evans six years earlier.
Dave Courteen, The Shrewsbury Club’s managing director, said: "Jack’s wonderful talent was very clear to see during his week playing in Shrewsbury. He was impressive both on and off court. He was very approachable and had time for everyone.
“He certainly looked a star of the future and we really enjoyed watching him play at The Shrewsbury Club. We are proud that one of his early professional titles came here.
“We have continued to keep a close eye on Jack's progress and, having progressed to British number one, it’s fantastic to see him playing so well at the US Open.
“It would be brilliant if he can continue his fine run of results run in New York and become the latest player to have played at The Shrewsbury Club to win a Grand Slam title, following on from Marketa Vondrousova, the Wimbledon ladies’ singles champion in 2023.
“That could also potentially happen in the US Open women’s singles, with Karolina Muchova, the Czech star who lost in the second round of the W100 Shrewsbury in 2022, through to face Jessica Pegula in the semi-finals, so we will also be following that match with interest."
Draper’s rise to his current ranking of 25 in the world, as well as Muchova’s run in New York, further underlines the quality of players the professional tennis tournaments successfully staged by The Shrewsbury Club attract.
The Lexus W100 Shrewsbury - the biggest event in women's tennis to be staged in the UK this year, outside of the grass court season - will be held in the town next month between October 13-20.
Delighted to have been chosen by the International Tennis Federation and Lawn Tennis Association to host such a prestigious tournament, local tennis fans can look forward to watching leading British and international stars competing.
Dave added: “Preparations are going well and it’s now just over five weeks away, so it’s getting exciting as we wait to discover which players will be heading to Shrewsbury to play.
“We are looking forward to bringing world-class tennis to Shropshire once again and ticket sales are going well.
“We want to make it the biggest and best tournament we have ever staged.”
Tickets, priced from £7.50, are available from the W100 Shrewsbury tournament website.
