Jack Draper is regarded as one of the brightest prospects in the tennis world. This 22-year-old tennis star can now become the first British man to reach the US Open singles semi-finals since Andy Murray won the title in 2012. He’s already Britain’s number one, so the fans have high hopes for him! However, the path to the last four won’t be easy as he has to overcome a ‘Demonic’ challenge in the QF.

He will face Australia’s Alex de Minaur in just a few hours from now. De Minaur has already become the first Aussie man to reach the second week of all major tournaments in a single season since Lleyton Hewitt in 2004. Now it’s time to create another historic moment in his career! So, this is going to be one of the biggest matches of their careers. The Australian has won more matches than Draper in this season. Will this factor keep him ahead of JD?

Alex de Minaur vs Jack Draper: Preview

Alex de Minaur has already won two titles this season. The first was in Acapulco and then the second came at s-Hertogenbosch, NL. In this tournament, he has played four matches so far. Interestingly, had to face a tough fight in all four of those matches. De Minaur defeated his compatriot Jordan Thompson by 6-0,3-6,6-3,7-5 in the R16.

On the other hand, Jack Draper had also won a title in Stuttgart this year. He had faced relatively less competition in his previous four matches. In the last match, he defeated the Czech tennis star, Tomas Machac, by 6-3,6-1,6-2 margin. However, Draper needs to fasten his seatbelts now, as facing a Top 10 opponent is always an enormous challenge. Has he ever played against Alex de Minaur, though?

De Minaur vs Draper: Head-to-Head

Well, Jack Draper has faced Alex de Minaur three times in his career so far. However, unfortunately for the Brit, he had to face defeat on all of those three occasions. Although he was forced to retire in the middle of his previous match due to an injury, Draper has thrown a fair bit of a challenge in all of those matches.

• 2022 Wimbledon R64: De Minaur 5-7,7-6(0),6-2,6-3.
• 2023 Japan Open R32: De Minaur 4-6,7-6(4),7-6(1).
• 2024 Mexican Open SF: De Minaur 6-3,2-6,4-0

Prediction: De Minaur to win in five sets

This match has all the potential to go deep. Although Alex de Minaur came to this tournament on the back of a hip injury, that he sustained during the Wimbledon Championships’ fourth round. The Aussie has looked sharp here. His resilience and ‘never-say-die’ attitude through each of his performances in the 2024 US Open. Alex de Minaur (10) has a win-loss record of 41-14 this season compared to Jack Draper’s (25) record of just 28-17. So clearly, according to these stats, we can give the Aussie an edge in this contest.

However, Jack Draper is an extremely ambitious figure who firmly believes he can be a top player and spends most of his career competing for the biggest titles in the tennis world. If we look at their playing styles, Draper is known for his powerful baseline game. He often tends to trouble his opponents with his fiery serves and stellar volleys. The Brit even has a good backhand.

However, against a player like Alex de Minaur who’s a good returner of the ball, he needs to land more of his first serves precisely and sustain aggression with his forehand. His tidy game with a little bit of firepower has the capability of keeping De Minaur always on his toes. Apart from that, Draper is a natural right-handed, but he plays with his left hand and this is what makes this youngster more special! Alex de Minaur needs to watch out for his double-handed backhand, too!

The 25-year-old Aussie tennis star is mainly known for his speed and agility on the court. He has a unique ability to retrieve seemingly impossible balls and hit winners from even the defensive positions. His court coverage is truly among the best in business! De Minaur can also inject a sudden pace into his rallies to surprise his opponents. However, his backhand is on the weaker side if compared with his forehand on the offensive. Alex de Minaur’s serves are not as lethal as Jack Draper’s, but does that keep the Brit ahead of the Aussie?

Well, Nick Kyrgios recently picked his favorite in this match. He backed his compatriot, saying, “De Minaur gets over Draper, in my opinion.” Do we have a different opinion? Definitely not!