Andy Murray has lauded British No.1 Jack Draper ahead of his opener (Picture: Getty)
Andy Murray has confirmed he won’t play in Wimbledon 2024 singles today and he wants British fans to throw their support behind Jack Draper instead.
Murray was scheduled to be the third and final match on Centre Court today but he took the painful decision to withdraw on Tuesday morning amid a back injury.
The 37-year-old British legend – who is nearing retirement from tennis – is still playing in doubles with his brother Jamie Murray and the British duo will face John Peers and Rinky Hijikate sometime between Wednesday and Friday.
Murray’s late withdrawal means Draper’s opening singles match against Elias Ymerhas been bumped up from the No.2 Court to Centre Court.
Murray has urged the British crowds to back British No.1 Draper in his absence – who has been in fine form – recently beating Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz at Queen’s Club and clinching his first ATP Tour title in Stuttgart.
‘I’ve known Jack for a long time – he grew up near where I live,’ Murray exclusively told Metro.co.uk.
‘We’ve played together in the Davis Cup and I see him on the Tour. He’s a really exciting player to watch and I think he’s got a big future.
Jack Draper is targeting a deep run at this year’s Championships (Picture: Getty)
‘It was a great win for him at Queens against Carlos Alcaraz. Beating the defending champion in the way that he did showed how well he is playing at the moment.
‘It came off the back of him winning in Stuttgart and that obviously gave him a lot of confidence.
‘Jack’s definitely got the ability to go right to the top of the game. There’s always a lot of pressure on the British players at Wimbledon but hopefully he can do well there.’
Draper is ranked world No.28 and was recently compared to a young Murray by tennis commentator Andrew Castle.
‘I remember Andy Murray here in 2005, and it is reminiscent of that,’ Castle said after Draper’s win over Alcaraz at Queen’s Club. ‘I think Jack can go a long way.’
Metro.co.uk interviewed Draper at the end of 2023 where he opened up about the massive impact Murray has had on his career and his dreams of Wimbledon glory.
Andy Murray says Jack Draper can go ‘right to the top’ (Picture: Getty)
‘I have huge goals [in 2024] and for the Slams,’ Draper said. ‘I will especially be targeting Wimbledon. I couldn’t play [in 2023] and it was really gutting for me.
‘Watching Carlos Alcaraz beat Novak Djokovic in the final and it all unfold put a massive fire in my belly that I want to go there in years to come and really put in great performances in front of a home crowd.
‘It’s a tournament that is very special to me. There’s a long time to go before then, but my goal is to put myself in the best position possible and improve as much as I can before then in order to go deep.’
Quizzed if he firmly believed he could follow in Murray’s footsteps and become the next British champion at Wimbledon, Draper added: ‘Yeah, of course. A lot of people say they want to win Wimbledon but they don’t necessarily believe it or put in the work.
‘I think I’ve got a long way to go until that happens. I will just focus on improving and learning and I am sure at some point in the future I will give myself a shot.’
Draper enjoys a close relationship with Murray with their friendship starting a few years back when the British veteran was struggling with his hip.
Jack Draper recently clinched his first-ever ATP Tour title (Picture: Getty)
‘Andy was, and still is, a huge role model,’ Draper said. ‘He is someone I really look up to.
‘I definitely got the opportunity [to learn from him] when he hurt his hip. He was in the UK a little bit more and I was able to spend a lot of time with him, practice with him and become good friends with him.
‘That was amazing and I learned a lot from him. From being on the Davis Cup team and on the ATP Tour a bit more, I have been around him a lot more. The thing Andy has taught me is that he is humble, achieved massive amounts in the sport, I think he is one of the greatest to ever do it, and he is very humble with it.
‘You wouldn’t know, he is just a normal guy. Also his resilience. Even with a metal hip, his consistency and competitive nature. He has got so many amazing qualities a young player can learn from.’
Andy Murray is working with Vital Proteins collagen to help with his active lifestyle and physical recovery after tennis matches.