Jack Draper, Taylor Fritz do battle as Novak Djokovic misses chance

Taylor Fritz and Jack Draper are among the leading stars at the Queen’s Club week, and there is plenty for both men to play for.

The pair are seeded third and second, respectively, and are among the leading contenders for the title, though this week will have huge implications for Wimbledon.

Fritz and Draper are battling it out for the world No 4 ranking at the tournament, and whoever prevails will seal a top-four seeding for action at the third Grand Slam event of the year.

As it stands

Heading into Queen’s, it is Fritz who holds a significant advantage over Draper, with a 500-point swing between the two last week.

Draper did not defend his Stuttgart Open title from 2024 and therefore dropped 250 ranking points, falling from world No 4 to world No 6 in the ATP Rankings.

In contrast, having not played the event in 2024, Fritz competed at the tournament and lifted the title without dropping serve even once, rising from world No 7 to world No 4.

The American overtook both Draper and Novak Djokovic in the ATP Rankings as a result of his victory.

As of Monday’s ATP Rankings update, Fritz has 4,735 points, with world No 5 Djokovic on 4,630 points, and world No 6 Draper on 4,550 points.

Queen’s Club scenarios

Both Fritz and Draper were quarter-finalists at the Queen’s Club back in 2024, meaning they have 100 points each to defend at the tournament.

With Fritz currently 105 points ahead of world No 5 Djokovic, that means that he cannot fall behind the Serbian in the ATP Rankings.

As a result, Djokovic, barring a withdrawal, can no longer be a top-four seed at the All England Club.

Fritz currently has a 185-point cushion over Draper in the ATP Rankings, meaning he is in the driver’s seat in the race for the fourth seeding at Wimbledon.

To have any chance of returning to world No 4 in the ATP Rankings, Draper has to reach at least the semi-final at the ATP 500 event.

A run to the semi-final would earn 200 ranking points, and see the Brit hold a total of 4,650 points in the rankings.

That would be enough to move Draper back above Djokovic, guaranteeing a minimum ranking of world No 5.

However, it would also be enough to move above Fritz if the American were to lose in the opening round.

Should Fritz be beaten by Corentin Moutet in his opening match, he would drop to 4,635 points in the ATP Rankings.

If Fritz were to reach the second round, he would hold 4,685 points, while if he matches last year’s quarter-final showing, he would stay on his current points total of 4,735.

In that scenario, Draper would need to reach at least the final; a run to the final is worth 330 points, and would move the 23-year-old to 4,780 points in the ATP Rankings.

With both men on the same side of the draw, it is more than possible that the two could meet in the semi-final.

Should that be the case, Draper would need to not only beat Fritz in the semi-final but also win the title.

A run to the last four would place Fritz on 4,835 points, ahead of Draper’s hypothetical runner-up tally of 4,780 points.

But, if Draper were to triumph, he would move to 4,950 points, and return to his career-high ranking of world No 4 ahead of the Wimbledon seeding cutoff.

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Why is a top 4 seeding so important?

For either Fritz or Draper, being in the top four ahead of Wimbledon could be crucial for their hopes of lifting a first Grand Slam title.

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are set in stone as the top two seeds in SW19, are the two significant favourites for the title, and have won the last six major titles between them.

By being a top-four seed, alongside world No 3 and third seed Alexander Zverev, one of Fritz or Draper will ensure they cannot meet Sinner or Alcaraz until at least the semi-final.

However, should they be outside of the top four seeds, there is the possibility that they could face the Italian or Spaniard as early as the quarter-final.

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