Wimbledon’s Hidden Gems: Meet the Home-Grown Talents Turning Heads — and Chasing Andy Murray’s Legacy
British fans endured 77 years without a male player lifting the title, after Fred Perry’s third win in 1936.
First came “Henmania”, then “Murray Madness”, before the Scot ended the wait with the first of his two Wimbledon triumphs in 2013.
Now, a surging new generation of British players are making their mark, with fourth seed Draper, 23, leading the pack following Murray’s farewell in 2024.
Seven men including Draper, Dan Evans, Jack Pinnington Jones and amateur Oliver Tarvet all made it into this year’s second round — Britain’s best tally at any Grand Slam event since 1997.
The strong showing has set the home crowd up for some exciting tennis on Thursday with Evans due to face seven-time champion Novak Djokovic while Draper will play Croatia’s Marin Cilic.
“Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant!” said chartered physiotherapist Carol Sweet. “Seven into the second round is amazing.”
Centre court erupted Wednesday as Tarvet hit a string of winners before he was knocked out by reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz.
“It’s great, you can hear the noise and how much louder it is,” said engineer Cameron Maxwell, 27 as the crowd roared in support.
“As a spectator you’re just more revved up for it,” added accountant Guy Millward, 59.
Results, at last
Long-time British tennis fans John and Sarah Pickthorn said it was encouraging to see so many UK players finally making progress after years when they were few and far between.
“For a very long time we’ve been here watching Germans and Swedes and Americans and Australians and it is very nice to see that we can produce — not just one player — Andy Murray,” added John, a retired banker.
Money pumped into the sport by the the Lawn Tennis Association, British tennis’s governing body, was “at last starting to show results”, he said.
