Jack Draper walked into the press room at Wimbledon 2025 with the weight of disappointment etched across his face. The British No. 1 and fourth seed had just been ousted in the second round by Croatia’s Marin Čilić, a 36-year-old former finalist making a stirring return to form. The scoreline—6-4, 6-3, 1-6, 6-4—told part of the story, but Draper’s post-match reflections revealed the emotional toll of the loss.
A painful exit and a candid reflection
“Probably one of the toughest losses I’ve felt,” Draper admitted. “I’m really upset. It hurts a lot.” Despite a strong third set and moments of brilliance, Draper struggled to contain Čilić’s aggressive baseline play and pinpoint serving. The Croatian struck 53 winners and 16 aces, using his experience and power to keep Draper on the defensive for much of the match.
Draper acknowledged Čilić’s performance with respect: “He played an incredible match from start to finish. He didn’t let up. He deserved the win.”
Frustration with technology and missed chances
One of the more pointed moments in the press conference came when Draper voiced concerns about Wimbledon’s new electronic line-calling system, which replaced human line judges for the first time in the tournament’s history. “I don’t think it’s 100 percent accurate,” he said. “There were a couple of calls where I thought the ball was out, but the system showed otherwise. There was no chalk, and it just didn’t feel right.”
While Draper stopped short of blaming the technology for the loss, his frustration was clear. “It’s millimeters, and it goes both ways. But I think it’s a shame the umpires aren’t involved anymore.”
A learning moment in a rising career
Still just 23, Draper has had a meteoric rise in the rankings, but his Wimbledon journey continues to stall at the second round—just as it did in 2022 and 2024. “I’ve still got a lot of areas to improve,” he said. “That’s exciting in some ways, but also hard to deal with because I thought I was ahead of where I was.”
He reflected on the challenges of adapting his game to grass, admitting that he hasn’t yet found the same rhythm on the surface as he has elsewhere. “I felt like there weren’t many holes in my game this year, but on grass, it’s been different.”
Looking ahead
Despite the heartbreak, Draper remains focused on the future. With the US Open on the horizon and a full hard-court season ahead, he’ll have opportunities to regroup and build on the progress he’s made.
As for Čilić, his win marks a remarkable chapter in a comeback story that has seen him return from multiple knee surgeries and a ranking drop outside the top 700. For Draper, the loss may sting now, but it could become a pivotal moment in his growth as a player and competitor.
Jack Draper in 2025
Ranked no.4 (career-high), Jack played his last match on the 1st of January 1970 when he lost to world no.83 Marin Cilic 6-4 6-3 1-6 6-4 in the 2nd round in Wimbledon (draw).
This season Jack owns a compiled 29-9 win-loss record. This year, Jack conquered 1 tournament in Indian Wells. The Brit got to the final in Doha and Madrid.
