Jack Draper Leads British Charge and Faces Monfils in Paris
Roland Garros
May 28, 2025
Jack Draper and Cameron Norrie dug deep to turn the tide – and made it an incredibly successful start to Roland Garros for the British.
Six of their number have won in the opening round of the French Open for the first time since 1973.
Jacob Fearnley, Emma Raducanu, Katie Boulter and Sonay Kartal all tasted that sweet winning feeling on the Parisian clay as well.
Jack Draper and his compatriots will be gaining confidence from their Roland Garros experience. They will surely use this adventure to their advantage for Wimbledon 2025!
But it wasn’t all plain sailing for Draper and Norrie, whose progress looked under severe threat at one stage in their respective matches.
Italian outsider Mattia Bellucci appeared to be wiping the floor with Draper in an extraordinary first set.
He hit 19 winners to Jack’s six – and closed out the opener with a cheeky underarm serve.
That may have motivated Draper, who referred to being ‘caught off guard’ in general terms and admitted he came out ‘more aggressive’ for the second set.
A year or two ago he might have panicked at being outgunned early on. But this more mature version of Draper simply went to work and won through 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-2.
Now he faces the hugely entertaining French veteran Gael Monfils. That will make for a mouth-watering showdown on Thursday.
And the occasion will also provide a stern test of Draper’s composure in front of what promises to be a fiercely partisan French crowd.
Jack Draper against Gael Monfils on Centre Court at Wimbledon 2025 would also be a match to remember.
And whatever combinations come our way, Wimbledon 2025 will offer all kinds of magical drama at the historic home of tennis.
Back in Paris, Cameron Norrie has earned himself to chance to progress further with a second-round match-up against Argentina’s Federico Agustin Gomez.
But he did it the hard way as he pulled off a shock victory over Daniil Medvedev.
Norrie squandered a two-set lead and was a break down in the decider before heroically edging the contest 7-5, 6-3, 4-6, 1-6, 7-5.
Five-set drama is what makes a Grand Slam event like Roland Garros or Wimbledon 2025 so special.
Come to the big one – Wimbledon 2025 – and see for yourself. Give us a call and we’ll make it happen for you.