Draper could go top of world rankings – Murray

Andy Murray believes new British number one Jack Draper can go to the “top of the world rankings”.

Draper, 22, won his first ATP title at the Stuttgart Open on Sunday, beating Italy’s Matteo Berrettini 3-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-4.

The success helped him move above compatriot Cameron Norrie, 28, in the world rankings.

Draper is now world number 31 – eight places above Norrie, who had a poor clay-court campaign and suffered an early exit at Nottingham last week – and is in a strong position to be seeded at Wimbledon.

“Jack, I think, has bigger goals to aspire to than being British number one,” said Murray.

“In my opinion, he can get right up to the top of the game, right to the top of the world rankings.”

Former world number one Murray added: “He genuinely loves the sport. He is really into it, he works really hard and I think grass is a brilliant surface for him. I think he’ll do really well over the years on the surface.

“It’s amazing for him to win his first tournament and obviously I’m delighted for him. This year has been tricky for him and it could have looked a whole lot different as well, a lot more positive than it has been, because he’s lost a number of extremely close matches.

“You change a couple of those results and all of a sudden he’s up easily in the top 20 in the world.

“In my eyes, he’s definitely playing good enough to be right up there.”

Draper and Norrie will be in action at Queen’s Club this week with Draper in line to meet Wimbledon champion and world number two Carlos Alcaraz of Spain if both get through their first-round matches.

Draper faces Argentina‘s Mariano Navone while Alcaraz takes on Navone’s compatriot Francisco Cerundolo with both games on Tuesday.

Murray begins his campaign on Tuesday against Australian qualifier Alexei Popyrin while Norrie will be in action on Monday against former Wimbledon finalist Milos Raonic of Canada.