British tennis players Jack Draper, Harriet Dart, and Katie Boulter are making notable appearances at the China Open and Japan Open, with live coverage provided. Draper is particularly in focus at the Japan Open, having recently made a significant impact at the US Open.
Jack Draper, the British men’s No 1, is participating in the Japan Open, an ATP Tour 500 event. The 22-year-old recently reached the semi-finals at the US Open, marking his first career Grand Slam semi-final and breaking into the world’s top 20 rankings. Draper expressed his ambition, stating, “I want to get to the position where I’m consistently winning and playing at a high level week in, week out. I want to have a good Asia swing and a good indoor season. The work’s not done yet.”
Draper has yet to lose a set on his way to the quarter-finals in Japan, defeating Mattia Bellucci and upsetting second seed Hubert Hurkacz. His next match is against France’s Ugo Humbert, who won against Brandon Nakashima. Draper is also through to the semi-finals of the doubles event with Czech partner Tomas Machac.
The China Open in Beijing, featuring both men’s and women’s singles tournaments, has seen some changes in its lineup. The women’s world No 1, Iga Swiatek, withdrew last week due to “personal matters.” Aryna Sabalenka, the recent US Open champion, is now the top seed, with Jessica Pegula seeded second. Naomi Osaka, the 2019 winner, has been given a wild card entry.
In the men’s tournament, world No 1 Jannik Sinner returns to defend his title, with last year’s runner-up Daniil Medvedev also participating. Additionally, top players such as Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz are competing, though Novak Djokovic has opted to rest ahead of the Shanghai Masters 1000 event.
Other British players are also competing at the China Open. Katie Boulter, the British women’s No 1, is participating in the WTA 1000 event in Beijing, seeded 28th. Harriet Dart was included in the entry list but was eliminated in the first round. Heather Watson lost in the second round of qualifying to Zarina Diyas. Emma Raducanu has withdrawn due to a foot injury, stating, “I think the rest of the year, as long as I’m healthy, I’m going to try and finish the season and play as many matches as I can.”
The China Open and Japan Open present an exciting opportunity for British tennis players to showcase their skills on an international stage. As Jack Draper continues his impressive run in Japan and other British players compete in China, fans are closely watching their performances.
