Skip to content
en-gb GO TO bet365 Sports
Tennis
  1. Tennis

How close are we to the next British Grand Slam winner?

Britain are always on the lookout for their next Grand Slam champion and they have enjoyed some recent success with Emma Raducanu springing a surprise at the 2021 US Open.

Injuries have derailed Raducanu's rise and the 20-year-old has been forced to miss the last three Grand Slam competitions, as a result slipping to 186th in the world rankings.

With Andy Murray, a three-time Grand Slam champion which includes twice at Wimbledon, nearing retirement at 36 years of age, there is a need for a new British breakout star.

Men's world number 17 Cameron Norrie will still believe he can contend for Grand Slam silverware while Jack Draper, the 21-year-old Londoner who enjoyed a fruitful run at the recent US Open when making the fourth round, is an up-and-coming talent.

Katie Boulter and Jodie Burrage have also shown significant progress in recent months on the WTA Tour and are two female players who will be hoping to emulate Raducanu's achievement.

Draper could go all the way to the top

There are plenty of good British tennis players on the ATP and WTA Tour's but few have the natural talent of Draper, who could be a leading candidate to be the next homegrown Grand Slam champion.

The 21-year-old has had his fair share of injuries to deal with but he remains a precocious talent and is more than capable of forcing himself into the world's top 10.

Draper is blessed with the weapons to be a big hit on the ATP Tour. Not only is he a big server, but the Londoner also has a powerful and heavy forehand and, in truth, has no real weaknesses.

The British youngster has earned big praise from the likes of Murray and Dan Evans and last season he made the quarter-final at the Canadian Open, which is a Masters 1000 event.

And there have been signs that Draper is on his way back to the level that last season had seen him ranked at 38th in the world.

Last time out, Draper enjoyed a run to the fourth round of the US Open, where he had recorded wins over Hubert Hurkacz and Michael Mmoh before bumping into six seed Andrey Rublev in a four-set defeat.

Draper doesn't currently have the conditioning and fitness to mix it with the elite but that will return and that is when he could become a force to be reckoned with. 

The Briton is 66/1 to win the Australian Open in 2024 while he is 80/1 to win next year's Wimbledon and 66/1 to claim the US Open title.

Norrie still no forlorn hope

Norrie's progress has been halted this season with the British number one struggling for form and seeing his world ranking slip from eighth to 17th.

The South African-born star has failed to go beyond the third round in any of this season's four Grand Slams, but it would be too premature to write him off.

Norrie made the semi-final at Wimbledon in 2022 and the season before that he claimed the biggest win of his career at the Indian Wells Masters, highlighting that he has what it takes to mix it with the very best.

The 28-year-old's dip in form should spur him on to come back stronger and he is 66/1 to win the Australian Open while he can be backed at 66/1 to triumph at Wimbledon.

Boulter and Burrage motivated by Raducanu's success

Britain are desperate to unearth a new female tennis star and the hope is that Raducanu can at some point rediscover her spark.

That is possible as you don't win a Grand Slam by luck, especially given she was a teenage qualifier and featuring in the main draw of a major for only the second time.

However, her well-being and focus must be questioned and in her absence the British hopes appear to fall mainly on the shoulders of Boulter and Burrage.

Boulter may be 27 but she is still relatively inexperienced on the WTA Tour and she claimed her maiden title at Nottingham Open in June.

That shows her grass-court prowess and she defeated compatriot Burrage, who at 24 is three years younger and open to more improvement, in the final.

If either of the pair are to make a splash in a Grand Slam then Wimbledon would be the most likely destination. 

Boulter is 50/1 to win the All England Club title next season with Burrage a 150/1 chance.

Heather Watson, Katie Swan and Harriett Dart are three other WTA Tour professionals hailing from Britain who still believe they can achieve big things in the game.

Related Articles

bet365 uses cookies

We use cookies to deliver a better and more personalised service. For more information, see our Cookie Policy

New to bet365? Bet £10 & Get £30 in Free Bets

Join Now

Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of qualifying bets. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply.