Jack Draper falls short at Roland Garros, but Jamie Murray insists he’s destined for grand slam glory.

Jack Draper’s French Open dream may have ended in heartbreak, but belief in his Grand Slam destiny is stronger than ever.

The 23-year-old Briton bowed out in the fourth round of Roland Garros after a bruising 5-7, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 defeat to Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik, ranked 62nd in the world. The loss marked Draper’s second consecutive exit at the fourth-round stage in a Slam—highlighting both his impressive rise and the narrowing margins at the sport’s elite level.

Had Draper triumphed, he would have earned a tantalising rematch with world number one Jannik Sinner, who beat him in last year’s US Open semi-final. Instead, Draper was left reflecting on a missed opportunity—but also on how far he’s already come.

Until this year, Draper had never progressed beyond the first round in Paris. Injuries plagued his early years, limiting his time on clay and stalling his development. Now, he’s the world No.5, a Masters 1000 champion, and Britain’s top-ranked player.

Still, Draper offered a brutally honest assessment of where he stands compared to the two juggernauts of his generation: Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.

“I’m a long way behind those boys,” Draper admitted. “They’re probably a year or two ahead of me and have obviously achieved a lot more. If you look at how many ATP matches they’ve played, they’ve played double the amount I have.”

The numbers support his view. While Draper has played 168 tour-level matches, Sinner has 356 and Alcaraz 300. And between them, the Italian and Spaniard have won the last five Grand Slams. Sinner is chasing a fourth major title in Paris; Alcaraz, already a four-time Slam winner, is defending champion.

Despite the gulf, Draper’s talent and trajectory have sparked optimism back home.

Jamie Murray, a seven-time Grand Slam doubles champion, declared Draper to be “Britain’s next tennis superstar” on talkSPORT.

“He’s 23 years old and he’s five in the world. He’s four in the Race. He’s doing incredible,” Murray said. “There’s no ifs or buts about it.”

Murray acknowledged Draper’s self-awareness but expressed total faith in the left-hander’s long-term potential.

“Jack’s right in what he says—he hasn’t played as many matches, and Sinner and Alcaraz have been cleaning up recently,” said Murray. “But he will get there. He’s showing signs that he could be the best of the rest.”

It’s been a banner year for Draper. In March, he clinched his first Masters 1000 title in Indian Wells, beating a series of top-10 players en route to the trophy. That breakthrough cemented his reputation as a big-match player—and lifted him into the ATP top five.

Now, attention will turn to the grass-court season and Wimbledon. Draper’s raw power, court coverage, and ever-growing self-belief suggest he could finally end Britain’s wait for a male Grand Slam singles champion since Andy Murray’s Wimbledon triumph in 2016.

Jamie Murray certainly thinks so.

“I think he can win Grand Slams,” he said. “I absolutely believe that.”

As Draper resets for the next challenge, there’s little doubt: he may have fallen short in Paris, but the best chapters of his story are still to come