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The flaw in Jack Draper’s game plan that Nick Kyrgios called ‘wrong’ after Wimbledon defeat

Originally posted on HITC | By Cameron Greenlees | Last updated Jul 4, 2025 10:30 AM ET

Wimbledon won’t be the place where Jack Draper wins his first Grand Slam – at least not in 2025, as the Briton was beaten by Marin Cilic in four sets.

Cilic defeated Draper 6-4, 6-3, 1-6, 6-4, using his serve and experience to keep the fourth seed under pressure for most of the match.

The British player, viewed by many as a real contender this fortnight, struggled to contain the Croatian’s power and experience until later in the match, managing a brief resurgence in the third set but unable to maintain momentum.

Kyrgios hinted that Draper’s game plan may have played a role in the loss – especially his serving patterns against Cilic, who handled them well throughout the contest.

Nick Kyrgios highlights Jack Draper’s mistake against Marin Cilic

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Talking on Talksport, the Australian pointed to Draper’s decision to explore Cilic’s backhand as a wrong call.

“I think it was wrong. But left-handers like to slide that ball T and go wide on the advantage side – and that’s to Cilic’s strengths.

“When Jack was under the pump, he went to those serves a little bit too much. That’s just the student of the game in me.

“I haven’t had a coach in six or seven years, so I am always trying to break down what players are doing, and Cilic looked like he executed well and played the bigger points well.

“I’m probably not the best person [to speak to him], but I would probably just say that the execution and the tactics, maybe he could have done them a bit differently.

“But he knows, you don’t get to top five in the world without understanding what you are doing out there.”

Nick Kyrgios says the draw is opening up for Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz

Kyrgios revealed he is surprised by the Wimbledon results so far. At the moment, a record of 36 seeded players across the men’s and women’s draws had been eliminated before the third round.

This scenario has the Australian believing that one of the main favourites – Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner – will confirm their status by winning the Grand Slam.

“He [Draper] came out a little bit flat. Obviously two sets to love down, it’s never easy to come back, but this Wimbledon has been so strange, so many upsets and seeds falling. It looks like the draw is opening up for [Jannik] Sinner and [Carlos] Alcaraz.”

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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