British tennis star Jack Draper was left stunned after a second-round exit at Wimbledon 2025, following a tough four-set defeat to veteran Croatian Marin Cilic. Draper, seeded fourth and considered one of the favourites for the title alongside Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, and Novak Djokovic, crashed out of the tournament earlier than expected.
Draper lost to Cilic 6-4, 6-3, 1-6, 6-4 in a match filled with momentum shifts. The Croatian dominated the opening two sets with strong serving and precise returns. Draper showed resilience by storming through the third set, but Cilic bounced back in the fourth to seal the win.
Speaking at the news conference, Draper was emotional and visibly affected by the loss. However, he also praised Cilic’s consistent performance.
“Obviously, [I feel] really upset. Probably one of the toughest losses I feel. I thought Cilic played an incredible match from start to finish. [He] didn’t let up. He deserved the win,” Draper told.
The match marked a significant moment in Cilic’s comeback journey.
The 6-foot-6 Croatian, a former US Open champion in 2014, has battled injuries in recent years, including a serious knee issue that saw his rankings drop. This win over a top-seeded player like Draper signals a strong return to form.
“My emotions are just incredible. Where I was two years ago, I can’t even describe. It has been a long journey. It was a long and testing period, plus a huge challenge for me in this part of my career to come back and play at this level,” Cilic said.
With this result, Cilic advances to the third round, while Draper’s Wimbledon dreams are dashed much earlier than anticipated.
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